How to Set SMART Goals for Your Private Practice

With the end of the year quickly approaching, you may have started to think about what you would like to accomplish in the next 12 months. Goal setting is an important part of entrepreneurship and getting clear on your specific objectives -- and the timeline to accomplish them -- can set you up for private practice success.

There are a few tips to consider when setting your goals to ensure that you can achieve them successfully, on time and without burnout. Knowing how to set SMART goals is a skill every private practitioner should become familiar with. Performing an annual review of your business successes and identifying areas for improvement can be a great place to start when determining your goals for the upcoming year.

What are SMART goals?

SMART goals are objectives that meet 5 criteria. This 5-point definition of each of your goals helps to ensure that you can be clear on what success looks like upon completion. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.

In order to make your goals specific, realistic and achievable, you will want to create objectives that identify very concrete tasks or targets that you can feasibly accomplish. Rather than stating that you want to “book more clients this year”, your SMART goal would be to “book 1 new client each month throughout the next 12 months”.

It is also important to ensure that your goals are actually measurable -- and that you set aside time to review your progress. For the previous example, you could review your progress on your goal at the end of each month and log your new clients into a spreadsheet for tracking purposes. You will be able to see your progress at a glance and will be able to determine if you are meeting, exceeding or falling behind on your target.

The final criteria for setting SMART goals is to ensure that your objectives are timely. Reflect on what a realistic time frame would be to achieve your goal and work to break it down into increments that are short-term and bite-sized. In the previous example, booking one new client per month would mean that you would onboard 12 new clients in the year. This allows you to focus on a smaller achievement and work towards hitting a larger target over the course of many months.

Setting smaller, incremental goals also allows some room for flexibility. There may be months in which you struggle to onboard a new client and that is okay! This bite-sized goal ensures that you won’t be scrambling to book 12 clients in a single month to hit an unrealistic target.

Tips for staying accountable

As a private practitioner, you likely spend the majority of your day either alone or in sessions with clients. Staying accountable to your goals can prove to be a challenge without support or mentorship and structure. Here are some tips to help you stay accountable and on track for success:

Look for peer support

Creating an accountability group with your peers can help everyone stay on track with hitting their objectives. Set a time to meet up with your group (virtually) on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, etc.) and have each member report their progress to the group. Support from your peers can help with your momentum or assist you with getting back on track if your progress is lagging behind.

If you are interested in creating a peer accountability group, consider reaching out to the members of the BYPP Facebook Community!

Acknowledge your results

With big goals, it can be easy to focus on what you still need to accomplish. This mindset may deter you from making progress on your smaller goals because you feel overwhelmed by what is outstanding. Be sure to take some time to celebrate the progress and results you have along the way to achieving your main objective.

Keep the commitment to yourself

You are in the business of providing a service to your clients. You know that your sessions with them are an important part of supporting them and keeping your practice running successfully. This commitment also needs to be applied to the business of your private practice.

It can be easy to push aside your goals because you feel too busy, too tired or too uninspired but it is important to view your goals as commitments to yourself and your journey to growing your dream practice.

Put a weekly check-in into your calendar to review your progress and make plans for hitting your targets. Block off an appointment with yourself for uninterrupted time to focus on growing your practice and working on your goals.

Invest in a mentor

Regardless of where you are in your private practice journey – just starting out, nurturing a growing practice, or scaling to new heights – remember, setting SMART goals is a cornerstone of success. And you don't have to do it alone.

A mentor, especially in a group coaching setting, can be a game-changer for you and your practice. They can guide you, help you stay accountable to your goals, and keep you motivated.

BYPP's group coaching programs are specifically designed for mental health practitioners like you. They offer a unique opportunity to learn, grow, and set achievable, relevant goals alongside peers who understand your journey.

So, if you're looking to make the most of your private practice journey with effective goal-setting and the support of a mentor-led group, BYPP's programs are here for you. Let's work together to make your practice thrive. Your journey to success is a shared one, and we're excited to be a part of it. Click here to find out more about BYPP’s programs.