what’s in a goal?
In 2004 I was first introduced to the idea of SMART goals. I was a student at University of Missouri in their Coordinated Dietetics program, and we were being trained on nutrition counseling for patients and clients. It’s easy and common to set “pie-in-the-sky” dietary goals - ie. I’m cutting out sugar FOREVER or I’m not going to snack EVER AGAIN. But the reality is that (and research routinely confirms this), these restrictive behaviors (or diets) often lead to binge eating, yo-yo dieting, and health consequences - not positive, sustainable, lasting change. But it’s not just eating, of course. I would wager a bet that everyone receiving this email has set a goal like this in their lives at some point.
But what does this have to do with farming? Many of you are likely familiar with SMART goals - those that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. They work in nutrition counseling, and even though that practice is no longer a regular part of my life, I apply this concept that I picked up in my university studies to how I live my life and run our business today. This past weekend, I skied the 21K race at Crested Butte’s Alley Loop (photo above). Did I think I would win or even be competitive? No. In fact I finished 209th out of 232 racers in my 21K skate category, in the last 10% of racers to cross the finish line. But, did I have fun? You betcha. And, would I do it again? In a heartbeat. I set this SMART goal for myself as a means of staying accountable to my health and as a tool to keep myself active through the dark days of winter. Same goes for my number of ski days each year. I don’t set my 100-day goal because I’m vain or obsessive, but because it keeps me from being complacent. It keeps me moving and gives me something to routinely look forward to. It gets me in my car on the 6 degree day or when the snow is blowing sideways and I don’t want to do anything but stay in my pajamas and read a book. Nine out of ten times once I get going, I experience an elation and dopamine rush from being outdoors moving and feeling the aliveness pulsing through each of my firing muscles. (And on that other “1” day, it helps me even better appreciate the other nine days.)
The same is true of our business. Marketing research shows that if you do not remain inventive and continue to evolve your business, your customers get bored. Keeping this in mind, I love setting these SMART goals, drawing out timelines, and constructing a road map for where we are going. How can we continue to grow, keep things fresh and exciting? These goals help us to stay disciplined and focused and force us to remain accountable to each other and our customers. A lot of my work this winter has been laying the groundwork for these goals for the upcoming year, taking into consideration where we have been, what is realistically attainable, setting clear metrics for measuring where we are going, and ascertaining their relevance to who we are, what we believe in, and how it supports our mission and community that we serve.
This is my round-about way of sharing that we are excited about where we are going this season and hopeful for the road ahead. In fact, it starts right NOW! For those that read last week’s newsletter on tulips, you know how excited we are for this new endeavor. And, surprise (!!), we unexpectedly have tulips in time for Valentine’s Day! This new chapter in the business is an exciting one, and we’re thrilled to have organically grown tulip bouquets from our farm available for the honey in your life or, maybe even better, for yourself. We’ll be at Cat’s On Main on Thursday morning, February 13th, from 8-10AM for bouquet pick-up. We have limited quantities available, and you can order yours here.
Now, what goals are you working towards? Where is your journey taking you? We’d love to hear from you, and, as always, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being such an integral part of our lives and the fantastic adventure that we are on.
With grateful hearts,
Melissa & Cale
Click here to read the entire February 7, 2025 newsletter.
Our first winter tulip - Spryng Break. She was harvested on February 5, 2025.
