Goal setting is a futile exercise if it’s not carefully planned out and acted upon. Every year I sit down to write out my goals for the new year then wonder why I didn’t accomplish them all. One of the main reasons is that I didn’t constantly refer back to them and created so many that I got overwhelmed.
Well, I have a solution for you that seems to work for me. You’ve probably heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals before but perhaps haven’t seen them personalized.
Let’s break down what these letters stand for:
1. Specific
Setting a general goal results in never getting anything done. Don’t just create them because it’s the right thing to do. Make sure they are things you really want to do and feel passionate about accomplishing. The more specific the better.
Example
A general goal would be, “Create an ebook” however a specific goal would say, “Create an ebook by writing content for at least 1 hour per day.”
Don’t just create goals for your business because other areas of your life are important and help create a balanced life.
Set goals for these other areas also:
- Spiritual (ie pray or meditate for 3 minutes/day before you start work).
- Physical (ie run a 5K by jogging 30 minutes/day)
- Educational (ie read 1 book/month by reading 3 pages/day
- Family (ie have a date night once a month with your wife, have an outing with your kid(s)/month
2. Measurable
You should be able to measure the progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you have a measurable target date you will will stay on track and experience the exhilaration of achievement that inspires and motivates you to reach your goal.
Example
Complete writing the content for your ebook
within 7 days by writing 1 hour per day.
3. Attainable
Setting lofty goals usually results in not attaining them thus wasting your time and leaving you feeling frustrated.
Only set goals that you know you can attain and are most important to you. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them.
You can attain almost any goal when you plan your steps wisely and and establish a time frame to make them happen.
4. Realistic
Avoid making the mistake of setting your goals too high or too low. A high goal is often easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Even though a high goals presents more of a challenge it will give you a greater sense of fulfillment.
5. Timely
If you don’t set a time frame to fulfill your goal you’ll have no sense of urgency and end up putting it off until later or not doing it at all. For example if your goal is to create an ebook with no time frame it would never be completed.
Now if you set a deadline by saying “I’ll finish this ebook by February 10th”, then you’ve set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working towards the goal.
Tip
Write down all your goals on a piece of paper and keep it in sight so you can review your goals from time to time to make sure you’re staying on track to accomplishing them.
Alternatively use Evernote..an online application for organizing content that you can sync between all your online devices.
Every time you make a decision during the day, ask yourself this question, “Will this take me closer to, or further from my goal.” If the answer is “closer to,” then you’ve made the right decision. If the answer is “further from,” well, you know what to do.
If you follow the road map I outlined above you’ll achieve the kind of success in your life that will boost self confidence and create a great feeling of fulfillment.
And now I’d like to invite you to get my free e-course
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