Using SMART goals, it is possible for you to accomplish ANYTHING you want! Sounds great, doesn’t it!?
In episode 14, I gave you the secret sauce to success, perseverance. And in order to develop perseverance, the #1 tip is to set a worthy goal. And, part of making a goal worthy is to be sure it serves a purpose for you or meets a need. But that’s not all. Your goal needs to be SMART!
Types of Goals
Worthy goals can be anything that you’d like to accomplish. Here are a few examples of worthy goals you may set for yourself:
* Make better decisions
* Increase your willpower
* Manage stress more effectively
* Read more often
* Become more proactive
* Stop procrastinating
* Save money
* Lose weight
All of those goals, and so many more, are absolutely attainable if you use the SMART method of achieving success!
SMART Goals
SMART is an acronym that stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-bound
For every goal you create, you should run it through the SMART goals methodology in order to increase your odds of success.
SPECIFIC
A specific goal is one that is clear and concise. It answers that WHAT, WHY, and HOW of your goal.
* WHAT are you trying to accomplish?
* WHY is it important?
* HOW will you accomplish it?
For example, if I wanted to lose weight, I would choose a SPECIFIC goal of “I want to lose 20 pounds.” Adding the “20 pounds” to my goal is what makes it clear and concise, makes it specific.
MEASURABLE
A measurable goal includes some measurement of success. It explains how much or how many, or how long. If your goal is a really long one, say 10 years from now, you could break that goal up into smaller benchmark “chunks” to help you stay focused in the shorter term.
In my weight lose example, I could add a measurement to it and say, “I want to lose 20 pounds by losing 1 pound per week.” Adding the “1 pound per week” is the measurement part so I know if I’m on track week-to-week.
ACHIEVABLE
All SMART goals should stretch you but be within possibility. They must be achievable because an achievable goals motivate you while impossible goals demotivate you. And we all need every bit of help we can get when it comes to motivation, right?
So, in my weight loss example, I could add the achievable portion by saying, “I want to lose 20 pounds by losing 1 pound per week by adding one additional hour workout per week.” Quantifying the one additional hour is totally achievable and will move me toward my goal.
RELEVANT
By ensuring your goal is relevant, you will increase your success rate. A relevant goal is one that you really want. It’s a goal that aligns with your purpose and needs. And attaching relevance helps solidify the reason you are working toward your goal.
For example, I would add relevance to my weight loss SMART goal by saying, “I want to lose 20 pounds by losing 1 pound per week by adding one additional hour workout per week so that I feel more healthy and have more energy.” Adding the reason I want to lose weight helps keep me motivated.
TIME-BOUND
All SMART goals should be time-bound to add a sense of urgency. Adding the time parameter gives you an end in sight and helps you stay motivated.
In my example, I could modify the wording of my goal just a bit to add the time constraint by saying, “For the next 20 weeks, I will add an additional one hour workout per week to lose 1 pound/week so that I feel more healthy and have more energy.”
SMART goals are goals worth achieving. And,