The SMART’er Way to Successfully Achieve Your Goals
At some point we all set some sort of goal. Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution, to quit smoking, or to lose weight we all have expressed to ourselves that we’d like to accomplish something or another. The problem is that promising that you’ll actually do it is often times a lot easier said than done.
For the most part we all have many things we’d like to accomplish at any given time and so we make them goals, but are you really defining these goals as well as you should be? Are your goals more a statement of intent or are you creating concrete objectives? If you are not you’ll be learning the SMART way today.
The SMART System
I first learned of the SMART System while reading an article over at Dumb Little Man and this is without a doubt the SMART’est way to goal set I’ve come across. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Boxed. The SMART criteria can be applied to any goal that you’d like to achieve as long as it meets these five characteristics. If it does not then you must adjust your goal until it does.
- Specific
Your goals must be very specific from the start. You risk failure from the beginning by making your goal too general. “I want to be rich” is not nearly specific enough. You need to set your goal in stone by first identifying exactly what your definition of “rich” is. Now let’s try “I want make earn $150,000/yr within the next 2 years through internet marketing”. Better, right? - Measurable
Now that you have a specific goal set, how will you measure your progress? Making your goal measurable is in direct relation to making it specific. The easier it is for you to visualize your desired outcome the easier it will be to see where you’ve succeeded. If finding a way to measure your progress becomes difficult you may have to go back and be more specific about it. This allows you to set milestones and work backwards through the steps in accomplishing your goal. - Achievable
Although I’ve never been one to stifle one’s ambitions, you have to be realistic in your goal setting. Your passions may tell you that you want to play first-string quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles but without a shit-load of talent and a generous dose of luck your chances are pretty slim. Put your energy where it will count. - Relevant
Are you truly passionate about what it is that you want? Is it a true fit in your lifestyle or will you have to make a drastic change to accommodate succeeding with this objective? The truth is that it will become increasingly difficult to continue pursuing something that speak to your inner-passions.By accomplishing this goal will you be forced to leave your family behind? Will you be prepared to sacrifice all that is necessary? Think about it.
- Time-Boxed
Goals (milestones too) become easier to prioritize when we set a deadline that they absolutely must be completed by. It triggers a natural reaction inside ourselves that motivates us. Along with giving our goals a higher priority, we are able to resist the urge to side-seat what’s important for what seems to be an immediately pressing concern.Time-Box your goals and while you’re at it give yourself a special reward for meeting your deadlines. You deserve it.
Now that you are armed with the SMART way to set goals remember to consider how each step will affect the next and you’ll be well on your way to attracting all that you desire into your life. By being able to visually outline what you need to do to get from point A to B you’ll be able to identify new opportunities and adjust your plan accordingly.
What are your thoughts on the SMART System and how have/will you use to meet your goals?
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Nice article. I can add , its better to write your goals on a piece of paper and read it everyday . That would actually makes your goal stick harder in your memory .
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