Part Eight – Setting Goals – The SMART way!
Welcome back!
We’ve all heard the common analogy….”Going on a trip….Map….how can you go though life without a map….”. And while that may sound trite, there is some truth that can be gleaned from it.
Goals are your map though life. It would be hard to have any focused direction without actually having something on which to focus. We are told to keep the end in mind, but how are we to do that without a beginning? Many of us wonder aimless through portions or all of our lives, never reaching towards anything: how boring is that? We need goals to help challenge our inner feelings of self-worth.
You make think goals are easy to set, however, some of us may not set them because we feel that the actual setting of them takes more effort than the actual goal. But that is completely not the case. If you use the SMART method, getting your goals written down will be a snap.
S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Realistic
T = Timely
SpecificGoals should be the absolutely direct end result for that which you are looking.
Specific is the What, Why, and How of the SMART model.
WHAT are you going to do? Action words such as direct, organize, coordinate, lead, develop, plan, build are words that will help to define your goal.
WHY is this important ? What do you want to ultimate goal?
HOW are you going to do it? (By…)
Ensure the goals you set is very specific, clear and easy. Don’t set a general goal like “Live a Healthier Lifestyle”. Make is specific, like “Buy organic and eat these low fat foods”.
Measurable
Be sure that you are able to measure your progress – without seeing accomplishment, we easily get discouraged. We need to see the change occur.
Concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set is paramount. Measuring your progress, staying on track will guide you towards reaching your target dates. Once progress is viewed and attained, it makes it that much easier to continue forward.
Attainable
When you figure out what goals are important to you, you will figure out ways to see those goals to fruition. By human nature, we are a species that loves challenges, and goals are just that.
If you set goals which are too far out of your reach, you probably won’t commit to attaining them. If the goal is too overwhelming, you will freak yourself out and will not even try to attempt achieving it.
Realistic
Realistic does not mean “easy”. Your goals should push you, but not take you to a point where it will break you.
Each step towards achieving your goals should be realistic.
Your goals should be realistic for you to achieve in this very moment. Not something that is down the road, but something that you can start on in the near future, even if you take baby steps towards completion.
Goals should take some effort, or you won’t feel as if you’ve attained anything, you just feel like you “did” it. Doing and attaining are two separate ideals.
Timely
For goodness sake, set a timeframe for your goals. A goal is not a goal unless you have a time frame in which to complete it.
Without setting a timeframe, your goal and commitment towards it is too vague. Make something concrete, and if you have truly tried and just cannot obtain it within that timeframe, adjust your timeframe accordingly.
There you have it! Hopefully this SMART guide will help you to be able to set your goals and work on achieving them. No matter what, you goals are important: only you will hold yourself accountable for the steps that you attain.
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