ike many business owners, I used to set ambitious goals at the start of the year, full of optimism and big plans. But where I fell short, and where so many of us fall short, was actually revisiting those goals.
It鈥檚 easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind, especially when business is thriving. But if you don鈥檛 take the time to check in on your goals, you鈥檙e running your business on autopilot. And that鈥檚 a risky game to play.
I鈥檝e worked with companies of all sizes, from global brands to solopreneurs, and I鈥檝e seen firsthand what separates high-performing businesses from struggling ones. It鈥檚 not just about setting goals, it鈥檚 about having a system to hold yourself and your team accountable, and making adjustments as needed.
Course-Correcting Before It鈥檚 Too Late
A great example of what happens when a company doesn鈥檛 revisit its goals is Schlitz Beer. Once the largest brewery in the U.S., they decided to cut production costs in the late 1960s. That decision, on its own, wasn鈥檛 necessarily a bad one, but they failed to assess the impact of those cost-cutting measures. Quality declined, customers noticed, and by the time Schlitz reacted, it was too late.
On the other hand, companies like Nike, and Uber, have weekly check-ins to adjust their strategies based on what鈥檚 working and what鈥檚 not. They don鈥檛 wait for problems to snowball. They course-correct in real time.
How to Build a Simple Goal-Tracking System
You don鈥檛 need a huge corporate infrastructure to do this. Even if you鈥檙e a solopreneur, you can implement a goal-tracking system that works for you. Here鈥檚 what I recommend:
Set a Regular Cadence
Whether it鈥檚 weekly, or monthly, create a dedicated time to check in on your goals. This can be a formal review or even a self-reflection session.
Make Your Goals Measurable
Vague goals lead to vague results. Instead of saying, I want to grow my business, set a specific target: I want to increase revenue by 20% this quarter. The clearer your goals, the easier it is to track progress.
Document Everything
You don鈥檛 need fancy software, a simple spreadsheet works. Track what鈥檚 going well, what鈥檚 off track, and what adjustments need to be made.
Hold Yourself Accountable
If you鈥檙e a one person business, self-discipline is key. If you have a team, create a reporting structure where updates are shared consistently.
Make Adjustments Without Guilt
Business is unpredictable. If a goal no longer makes sense based on new data, pivot. Sticking to a plan that鈥檚 not working doesn鈥檛 make you committed, it only makes you inflexible.
Prioritizing regular goal reviews creates clarity, alignment, and momentum. It ensures that leadership (even if that鈥檚 just you) stays connected to execution. And most importantly, it keeps you from waking up months down the line wondering why things aren鈥檛 moving the way you鈥檇 hoped.
So ask yourself: When was the last time you checked in on your business goals? If it鈥檚 been a while, better late than never, right?
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Stay Connected with Kelly
Kelly Feeney consults and advises business leaders on strategy, planning, and execution. As an Operations Exec, Kelly has led teams as large as 300 with budgets of $100M+ at enterprise companies like Uber and Airbnb.
Connect with Kelly on or learn more about her work at .
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