In this article we'll be going over how goals can benefit you and your poultry, and how to set them. I'm no expert on the subject, but I'll share what I know!
Why do goals matter?
You're probably wondering, how will goals help me? What will I get out of them?
Here is why: imagine a life without any purpose beyond surviving until the next day. How bad would that be? Goals give you a purpose and a direction to go in.
"Change nothing and nothing changes." You may have heard that quote before. But have your really thought about it? And more important, have you acted on it? Goals allow you to have constant and consistent improvement. They let you create your own path and help you follow it.
To follow that up, read this quote from Alice In Wonderland:
'Which road do I take?' She asked.
'Where do you want to go?' Responded the Cheshire Cat.
'I don't know.' Alice answered.
'Then,' said the cat, 'it doesn't matter.'
You might think that goals only matter for your physical condition, or something similar. But no, goals can affect everything! Including your poultry! You know that coop that hasn't been cleaned all winter? Or the hidden nests you need to go find? Goals can help! And they are so simple!
And now, how to set the goals! For this we'll be using the help of the acronym "SMART"
Specific
You need to narrow it down so you can really focus on your goal. Ask yourself these questions:
Example: I want to clip Penny's claws today. They have grown too long and it might start to affect her negatively if I don't get this done. Besides, it hurts when she accidently scratches me.
Measurable
To stay motivated and on track, you need to know you are making progress. Break your goal into steps, and celebrate every time you finish a step - no matter how small. Just pat yourself in the back and say, "good job!"
And don't just shrug it off. Motivation matters more than you think! If you lack motivation you will slack and you will struggle to finish your goal. So give yourself the praise you deserve! You can even ask somebody to give you a compliment to two.
Example: Bathing chickens;
Achievable
How realistic is your goal? Don't be a pessimist and throw your goal away, just do a quick reality check. Consider your situation and what is and isn't possible.
Remember, some things are out of your control. An example of a some poor goals would be: "All twenty of my chicks will be girls" and "my older and younger chickens will get along perfectly this week."
Good example of a reality check: "Well, maybe I shouldn't try to do a hatch every twenty-two days. The chicks will need to dry in the incubator, and it would be a big hassle. I'll say one hatch every month instead."
Relevant
You don't want to set a goal just for the fun of it. Do your goals align themselves with a larger purpose?
My big goal for 2021 is to cover all feed expenses and make profit from my chickens. My smaller goals (a couple of which are: hatch and sell at least twenty pure-breed chicks per month, raise black-soldier fly larvae, and grow a "chicken garden") will help me reach the overall goal.
Example: I'm going to try the using eggshells as a calcium source this week so I don't have to buy oyster shells, which will help with my larger goal: cut down chicken costs by 20 percent before the end of the year. (More about eggshells: Using Eggshells as a Calcium Source)
Timed
You need to have a deadline, otherwise you might keep putting it off. Remember, your goals should push you, but not break you.
Maybe you're are the type of person who needs someone to hold you accountable. If so, go tell a friend about your goal and ask them to check in with you at the end of the day/week/month/year. (More about how you might react to expectations here: https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/)
Examples: "Clean the coop before 2:00" and "get my mealworm factory started before the end of July."
Even if you don't reach your goal, that's okay! Not succeeding is not failure, the true failure is giving up. As Thomas Edison said: "I have not failed, I just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
If you need some inspiring quotes to keep you going, try checking out this collection:
Goals, for whatever use, are an amazing tool that everybody should try out. Good luck and have fun setting your goals!
Why do goals matter?
You're probably wondering, how will goals help me? What will I get out of them?
Here is why: imagine a life without any purpose beyond surviving until the next day. How bad would that be? Goals give you a purpose and a direction to go in.
"Change nothing and nothing changes." You may have heard that quote before. But have your really thought about it? And more important, have you acted on it? Goals allow you to have constant and consistent improvement. They let you create your own path and help you follow it.
To follow that up, read this quote from Alice In Wonderland:
'Which road do I take?' She asked.
'Where do you want to go?' Responded the Cheshire Cat.
'I don't know.' Alice answered.
'Then,' said the cat, 'it doesn't matter.'
You might think that goals only matter for your physical condition, or something similar. But no, goals can affect everything! Including your poultry! You know that coop that hasn't been cleaned all winter? Or the hidden nests you need to go find? Goals can help! And they are so simple!
And now, how to set the goals! For this we'll be using the help of the acronym "SMART"
Specific
You need to narrow it down so you can really focus on your goal. Ask yourself these questions:
- What do I want to accomplish?
- Why is this important?
- Who will this affect?
Example: I want to clip Penny's claws today. They have grown too long and it might start to affect her negatively if I don't get this done. Besides, it hurts when she accidently scratches me.
Measurable
To stay motivated and on track, you need to know you are making progress. Break your goal into steps, and celebrate every time you finish a step - no matter how small. Just pat yourself in the back and say, "good job!"
And don't just shrug it off. Motivation matters more than you think! If you lack motivation you will slack and you will struggle to finish your goal. So give yourself the praise you deserve! You can even ask somebody to give you a compliment to two.
Example: Bathing chickens;
- Gather all the supplies (Well done!)
- Catch the chicken and calm them down the best you can (halfway there!)
- Get them wet and add soap (woah, I'm doing great!)
- Rinse and dry the bird (I did it! Wahoo! Now I'll go take a break on the couch and look at pictures of chickens.)
Achievable
How realistic is your goal? Don't be a pessimist and throw your goal away, just do a quick reality check. Consider your situation and what is and isn't possible.
Remember, some things are out of your control. An example of a some poor goals would be: "All twenty of my chicks will be girls" and "my older and younger chickens will get along perfectly this week."
Good example of a reality check: "Well, maybe I shouldn't try to do a hatch every twenty-two days. The chicks will need to dry in the incubator, and it would be a big hassle. I'll say one hatch every month instead."
Relevant
You don't want to set a goal just for the fun of it. Do your goals align themselves with a larger purpose?
My big goal for 2021 is to cover all feed expenses and make profit from my chickens. My smaller goals (a couple of which are: hatch and sell at least twenty pure-breed chicks per month, raise black-soldier fly larvae, and grow a "chicken garden") will help me reach the overall goal.
Example: I'm going to try the using eggshells as a calcium source this week so I don't have to buy oyster shells, which will help with my larger goal: cut down chicken costs by 20 percent before the end of the year. (More about eggshells: Using Eggshells as a Calcium Source)
Timed
You need to have a deadline, otherwise you might keep putting it off. Remember, your goals should push you, but not break you.
Maybe you're are the type of person who needs someone to hold you accountable. If so, go tell a friend about your goal and ask them to check in with you at the end of the day/week/month/year. (More about how you might react to expectations here: https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/)
Examples: "Clean the coop before 2:00" and "get my mealworm factory started before the end of July."
Even if you don't reach your goal, that's okay! Not succeeding is not failure, the true failure is giving up. As Thomas Edison said: "I have not failed, I just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
If you need some inspiring quotes to keep you going, try checking out this collection:
- You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream
- Nothing is impossible. The word itself says "I'm possible"
- You become what you believe
- You should set goals beyond your reach so you always have something to live for
- If you set your goals ridiculously high as it's a failer, you will fail above everyone else
- If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it
- Set your goals high and don't stop till you get there
- A goal is not always something to be reached. It often serves simply as something to aim for
- Every accomplishment begins with the decision to try
- Set your goals high enough to inspire you, and low enough to encourage you
- If you don't know where you're going, you'll end up someplace else
- Set a goal so big you can't achieve it until you grow into the person who can
- Ambitious goals make for outstanding achievements
- What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals
- A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step
- The difference between "try" and "triumph" is a little "umph"
- If plan A doesn't work, don't worry, there are still 25 more letters in the alphabet
Goals, for whatever use, are an amazing tool that everybody should try out. Good luck and have fun setting your goals!
