Setting a goal is more than just a declaration—it’s a commitment to personal and professional growth. By the end of this article, I hope that you will be inspired to set and share your own S.M.A.R.T. goal.
Day Hiking at the Grand Canyon
You may have already read this same story from Jarrod’s point of view. Here we will go behind the scenes of the yearlong goal setting that led up to that day.
Late in 2020, like many others, I found myself pondering the uncertain future. Encouraged by my husband, Jarrod, I joined a virtual mastermind group for women business owners, where I crossed paths with Sarah Mohr, a business coach. Sarah proposed a year-long commitment, and I decided to take the plunge to work with her.
What was I going to do with a business coach?
A day hike in the Grand Canyon from Rim-to-Rim!
We also increased our business’s gross sales by 150% – but that story isn’t as exciting.
Manageable Steps: Seven–Seven–Seven
Kim Kedinger texted me on October 19th, 2020, sharing her goal to complete the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim (R2R2R) shortly after a failed attempt with friends. She was on a mission to collect a team to make another attempt. Kim was soliciting me to go one way with her.
By March 2021 the lodging was booked for whoever wanted to go. I had still not committed. Kim shared how “easy” this feat would be.
“Jessie, we will just hike down seven miles.”
“Then we will only run seven flat miles across the bottom.”
“Finally, we will just trek up seven miles – and you’re out!”
The Grand Canyon from Rim-to-Rim covers 21 miles with 6,400 feet of total elevation gain.
The longest distance I had run was a half marathon. And I had never run on a trail.
Yet, after Kim broke it down into seven-mile increments, I started to entertain the idea of going with her.
Set 12-week Goal Cycles
My work with Sarah started in tandem with Kim’s text. Sarah has her clients set four goals to accomplish during a 12-week goal cycle. She encourages clients to set goals in four different life categories: Financial, Career, Community, and Self. I set a Self-goal during our first goal cycle to test out trail running.
The very first weekend of that initial goal cycle I ran on the trails of Allerton Park & Retreat Center. I was hooked! The transition from road running to trail running was a game changer. By the end of the second 12-week goal cycle, I had committed to the Grand Canyon adventure set for October 2021.
I was to be Kim’s support for the first leg. Another running friend, Carolynn – who is afraid of heights and snakes – committed to the second leg. Kim’s husband, Nick, and my husband, Jarrod, said yes to being the support vehicle to get Carolynn to the north rim and pick me up when I finished. The five of us were the perfect team with a common goal – to get Kim safely across the Grand Canyon and back.
When you write a goal with Sarah, she encourages you to write it out in the past tense. This way your brain believes it has already been completed. The magic is your brain then starts to scan for ways to complete the goal.
The four Self goals set and accomplished leading up to the Grand Canyon adventure:
“I completed a trail half marathon on Kim Kedinger’s 40th birthday, February 21st, 2021.”
- Location completed: Allerton Park & Retreat Center
“I completed 16 trail miles on or before May 8th, 2021.”
- Location completed: Buffalo Trace Prairie with friends, family, and pups. I learned after running the trail half marathon alone I wanted to have a celebration run.
“I completed 20 trail miles on or before August 8th, 2021.”
- Location completed: North Fork Trail at Clinton Lake State Recreation Area again with friends, family, and pups.
“I completed the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim day hike healthy on October 15th, 2021,”
- Location completed: Grand Canyon National Park
Most strenuous training run: Detweiller Park in Peoria on September 12, 2021. This was my first 50k (31 miles). 90-degree heat with mimicked GCNP elevation gains.
The Grand Canyon adventure felt like a cakewalk after the 50k training run. Training well gave me the gift at the Grand Canyon of celebrating what my body was capable of doing.
Grand Canyon Adventure
I met Kim at the South Kaibab trailhead for the first leg. We just hiked seven miles down the South Kaibab trail to the Colorado River. Then we only ran seven flat miles across the bottom. And we finally just trekked seven miles up the North Kaibab to my finish line. The views were breathtaking. The time with my friend was priceless.
We celebrated. We ate snacks. Kim changed gear and added more fuel to her pack. And then Kim and Carolynn descended back into the Grand Canyon on the North Kaibab while the husbands and I drove back to the south rim.
The husbands and I went back to the south rim and celebrated our accomplishments over a filling dinner. After dinner, we planned to wait for the girls to finish from our hotel rooms.
The south-rim to north-rim Rim-to-Rim trek was textbook. Our team goal to get Kim safely across the Grand Canyon and back was right on track. The north rim to south rim R2R held challenges.
Team Communication
Shortly after returning to our hotel rooms, Nick knocked on our door.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
“Did you get the text?!”
Service was sketchy at best within the National Park.
“We did not.”
“They called for help.”
The Garmin tracker had sent the emergency text we had preset the night before. Our hearts sank. We assumed the worst.
The Garmin tracker was Carolynn’s. Carolynn, our teammate with a fear of heights and snakes. She had paid the extra cash to have the ability to press the help button on the Garmin to summon a helicopter. Receiving this text meant our friends were in danger.
Jarrod started contacting the authorities to see if they had heard from our friends. Nick and I went to the rim, in the dark, to see if we could see two headlamps safely hiking across the bottom.
Even though we had not talked directly to Kim or Carolynn we assumed they were in life-threatening danger. Our team was not on the same page. Cloudy communication began to escalate.
Often chaos will take over when a team is attempting to accomplish a common goal. Team members must be vigilant to clearly communicate with one another to confirm goal completion is on track. This may feel like over-communication when practiced in our day-to-day lives.
Ding! A text from Kim arrived on Nick’s phone.
“We made it to Indian Gardens.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, we’re fine. Why?”
Kim and Carolynn had marched right along believing our goal was on track while chaos brewed on the rim. They were unaware their other team members felt they were failing the goal: get Kim safely across the Grand Canyon and back. Once Nick received direct communication from Kim the team on the rim was able to take a breath. We then knew we were indeed on the path to success.
Around 2:30 am on October 16th, 2021, Kim and Carolynn emerged from the Grand Canyon. They made it. We made it. Our team successfully got Kim safely across the Grand Canyon and back!
S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals Defined
S – Specific
What results are you/your team looking to achieve?
Goal language is important. Be specific about what you want to achieve with clear measurable results.
M – Meaningful
Why is this goal important to you/your team?
Often you will see measurable used in the “M” space to build a SMART goal. We tuck the measurable parts of a goal within the “S” and the “T.” We feel when a goal is meaningful to the person or team it has a higher success rate.
The intrinsic motivation of yourself or your team members aids in this success rate. Intrinsic motivation refers to a person’s spontaneous tendencies to be curious and interested, to seek out challenges, and to exercise and develop their skills and knowledge, even in the absence of a reward.
A – Achievable
Can you/your team complete this goal?
Is something this big achievable? Break it down into manageable steps. We also suggest using the exercise of a SWOC Analysis to understand what strengths and weaknesses (internal factors) and opportunities and challenges (external factors) you are up against.
R – Relevant
Does this goal align with your agency’s mission, vision, and values?
Always realign with your agency’s foundation.
T – Time-Bound
Did you/your team set a clear deadline and milestones?
Set milestones and an end date to keep yourself accountable. We suggest testing out the 12-week goal cycle to feel the pressure of producing results during a sprint timeframe. When setting year-length or longer goals we suggest reporting in on results quarterly.
E – Evaluate
Measure progress. Assess prioritization and action strategy. Share candid feedback.
Find an accountability partner to schedule a regular cadence or evaluation leading up to your deadline.
R – Readjust
How could you/your team adjust?
R is not only for readjust, but rest, and reschedule too! We know all park and recreation professionals already have strong readjustment muscles that they use every day.
We Challenge You to be a Goal Getter
I challenge you to set a timer for seven minutes and complete our S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goal Planner to set one S.M.A.R.T. goal—personal or professional. If you want an accountability partner or have questions, please email Jessie at jessie@WeAreCampfireConcepts.com. Let’s build a community of achievers!
During 2023 we conducted our Build S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals workshops for multiple agencies. We are excited to share this workshop’s content with the greater Campfire Concepts community.
Resources from our workshop:
- S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goal Planner PDF
- Mohr U Coaching & Klemmer
- The Accidental Creative by Todd Henry
- Get It Done by Sam Bennett
- Full Focus Planner eShop
- Current Daily Planner I am using (lower cost compared to the Full Focus ones)
