Most of the dynamic young professionals I’ve met have one thing in common – their efforts to become successful have been (vaguely) intentional. Yes, just vaguely. They know they want to be somebody some day so they’ve set general guidelines – or goals – on how to get there. While they do have a plan of action, it’s not a detailed, set plan.

Sure goal setting is valuable and essential in moving in the direction of success. But goal setting to the extreme can prohibit you from seizing unanticipated opportunities – opportunities that could lead you down a more dynamic path.

At its core, goal setting is tactical. Themes are more big picture and strategic.

Goal: By June I will have brought in enough business to equal $5,000 in commissions.
Theme: This year will be the year of success.

While raking in 5 Gs of commissions in six months can surely be defined as a success, it doesn’t have much big-picture impact.

If you focus on having a year of success, you may take a class on becoming a better business developer in order to pave the way for long-term commission successes. You may sign up for that cooking class you’ve been meaning to take – doing so will mean you completed something you’ve intended to do for a while … now that’s success! You might decide to read one book every three months that is related to figuring out how to define success in your world. Something from one of those books may inspire you to try something you otherwise would never have considered.

Opportunities for success are endless when you live by a theme.

That’s why I’ve adopted the strategy of developing a new theme each year. That theme then acts as my goal-guide for the next 12 months.

It’s best if the theme is simple so it can be interpreted in many ways and across many aspects of your life. The theme keeps me aware of the one area of my life I want to focus on the most in the coming year. It guides my priorities for the year without being too detailed.

I unintentionally implemented this concept in 2004 – which I now refer to as the “Year of Opportunity” – mainly to create the illusion of positive memories for what was more accurately the “Year of Breakdowns and Sleepless Nights.” It had been three-and-a-half years and I was still at the same company I started at right out of college. Granted I wasn’t in the exact same position – I had actually been given a fair amount of new, challenging responsibilities along the way. All the same I was getting the itch for a change in scenery. Right as I was about to start the hunt for a new company, an unexpected opportunity fell right in my lap: I was asked to take on the role of President at the company where I worked.

I’ll admit, it was not on my Life To-Do List to be the President of a company – especially not at the age of 25. But what did I have to lose? And how many 25-year-olds get this opportunity? I figured the owner wouldn’t have put the offer on the table if he didn’t think I was capable.

The nine months that followed are a blur. I remember working way more hours than I wanted to; I remember restless nights worrying about clients. I remember bringing in random gifts of appreciation (Frosties from Wendy’s were a crowd favorite) for my overworked employees in an attempt to keep them on board until I could figure how to make things better.

Unbeknownst to me the company wasn’t in the best shape when I got promoted – and I think the owner only asked me to be the President because he was desperate and knew I would be gutsy enough to give it a try. But I would do it all again. Sure, I only lasted nine months. But the lessons I learned during that time have been invaluable in helping me define what’s important to me in a job – and in life – and have sent me down paths I wouldn’t have otherwise explored.

Due to how “2004: The Year of Opportunity” played out I strategically deemed 2005 “The Year of (Good) Change.” I quit my job, went to Tanzania, Africa, for a month and then tried my hand at consulting when I got home. Consulting allowed me the opportunity to take the time to be strategic about what my next career move was going to be. That move was made when I signed on at a small,  dynamic marketing firm where my bosses clearly wanted to provide me with opportunities to grow professionally.

So 2006 became “The Year of Growth.” My bosses have kept their promise. Since the day I started at Ingenuity I’ve been challenged by the projects I’ve been assigned. If there is something that piques my interest I talk to my bosses about it to see if it’s something they’re willing to let me try.

I also decided 2006 was the perfect year to take the plunge and become a homeowner. Some would argue that doesn’t fall in-line with “growth” as buying a house has made my bank account do quite the opposite. My counter-argument: buying a house is something “grown-ups” do. Not to mention all the new things I’ve learned by having to maintain a home. Did you know that – if you set your mind to it – you can successfully mow your lawn with a mower that’s missing a wheel? Playing homeowner – as I call it – has forced me to grow (up) in ways I never anticipated.

And now we’re in to 2007: The Year of Difference. At the end of 2006, I found myself feeling pretty lucky to be where I was in my life. Although volunteering has always been a part of my life, I decided it was time to get more serious about giving back. One initial goal for 2007 is to seek out a non-profit organization whose mission I am truly passionate about and get involved for the long-term. Not to mention I think volunteering and giving back is essential to being a dynamic and successful person.

I’m not quite sure what other goals The Year of Difference will present, but I’m looking forward to seeing what a difference a year makes.

Question: How do you approach goal setting?

I recently attended the first of the “Duet” seminars, sponsored by the University of St. Thomas Law School, and featuring Attorney Stephen Baird of Minneapolis-based Winthrop & Weinstine and Aaron Keller of Capsule, a Minneapolis branding firm. This seminar series is a great collaboration, with both firms inviting clients and prospects. Having it hosted by a local prestigious university probably helped pull in participants and good food, interesting cocktails, a fun gift bag and live music did not hurt. There is an obvious synergy between a branding firm and a law firm that helps protect brands, but it is the first time I have seen the collaboration as a cooperative marketing effort.

Each one of the speakers offered concrete, detailed information
that this professional service marketing generalist needed to
know, including:

• The information in just one issue of the New York Times is about equal to what a 17th century person may have been exposed to in a lifetime. Consumers are bombarded with about 5000 brand messages per day. We notice just a few. This means that to cut through the clutter of messages and be perceived as honest and expert is quite a feat.

• Color is a great and underused branding tool. Think Tiffany or Bachmans.

• In every other country of the world, you must actually register your trademarks to enforce them. In the U.S. you only have to use them. I would still consult a trademark attorney if you want to protect a name or symbol well.

• To name a product or service, consider that it should be memorable (long acronyms are not memorable), protectable (can you own that name in that category), and relevant (somehow relating to the brand).

• The more suggestive and less concrete a brand name is, the easier it is to defend. “Federal Express” because it describes a national business that sends things is harder to defend than the more unique “FedEx.”

• The best names to defend are those that do not already exist as words. Think “Kodak” or “Xerox.”

• Be careful when you use your tagline in ad copy as a description of your product or service. Your tagline, in order to be registered, must not be a mere description of what the product is.

• When developing names, bring marketing and legal people together from the start. Otherwise you have marketing people coming up with cool names and legal people saying “no.”

• Copyrights protect artwork. Trademarks protect your brand.

If you want to know more about this subject, you may contact Winthrop and Weinstine’s marketing manager, Deb Cochran, at dcochran@winthrop.com, Attorney Steve Baird
at sbaird@winthrop.com, or branding expert Aaron Keller at akeller@capsule.us.