If you want to succeed, you need to set goals. Without them you lack focus and direction. They also provide you with a benchmark to determine whether or not you're actually succeeding at them.
We all struggle sometimes to achieve our plans. And it's not that we lack the effort, but our goals are not structured efficiently. To accomplish your objective you need to know how to set it up properly.
You can't simply say, "I wish I could make more money" and expect it to happen. A goal without a plan is just a wish. It is also important to recognize, that not all objectives are created equal.
So, today I'll explain the SMART method of goal setting and how it will amplify your chances of actually succeeding. Let's get started. S stands for: Specific We all have plenty of dreams and goals, but most of them are all generalized and vague and so we don't really know how to achieve them.
Your goal must be clear and well defined. You can only get to where you want by defining precisely how you'll get there. For example, let's take a look at this generalized wish : "I want to be healthier" or "I want to have a better body".
What does all of this even mean? It's super vague and not specific enough. A better example would be: "I'll replace drinking soda with water.
I'll also be going to the gym three times a week for 45 minutes. " You could be even more specific. Three times per week could mean; every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Every time at 3 pm. Make it as specific as possible so you know what exactly what you're going to be focusing on. M stands for: Measurable Tracking the progress of your goal is an important part of keeping you motivated.
It allows you to set milestones that you can celebrate when you achieve them and reevaluate when you don’t. If your goal is simply defined as "lose weight" how will you know when you have been successful? You need to define exactly how much weight you want to lose.
A much better goal would be: "I want to lose 10 pounds". This way you have something to aim for and you can even set smaller milestones along the way. Basically you break that big objective in to other smaller objectives.
So if you think that 10 pounds is too much, you should break it down in to manageable pieces. First aim for 3 pounds, then another 3, all the way up to 10. It's the progress that keeps us motivated, so if you don't have a way to measure it, you will fail with your ambition.
A stands for: Attainable Make sure that it's possible to achieve the dreams you set for yourself. Far too many people fall into the trap of setting impossible goals. While they may push you forward for a while, you will almost certainly end up giving up on them.
Instead of being impossible, your goals should be challenging yet achievable. There's nothing wrong with shooting for the stars, as you might end up at the moon. However unless you want to burn out it's much more efficient to take small steps.
For example: Making 1 million dollars by the end of the month is impossible if you can't even pay your bills. A much more attainable goal would be making extra 100 dollars by the end of the month. Once you've achieved that you can then go a step further and try making extra 200 dollars.
You don't want to set yourself up for failure by trying to go far beyond the bounds of possibility. It will only make you miserable. R stands for: Relevant Your plans should be relevant to the direction you want your life and career to take.
A common issue we face, is having too many goals at the same time, or pursuing the wrong goals. Unless your plan is relevant to your overall life plan, achieving it may not accomplish anything. So if you look at my example; I wanted to learn French, because I loved the way it sounded.
However I realized that learning the language would be completely useless for me. I barely know anyone that speaks French and I don't really need to use it anywhere. So I stopped learning it, as it was taking too much of my time, while I was getting nothing out of it.
Becoming fluent in French would be nice, but it is currently not really relevant to my overall life plan. So ask yourself why you want to achieve your goal, before you commit to it. T stands for: Time bound This is one of the most important factors.
Your plans must have a deadline. If you don't set a time limit you have basically unlimited time to achieve your goals. When you are working on a deadline, your sense of urgency increases and you're more likely to achieve your goal.
Think of your time in school. You had a whole month to write an essay and yet it was done in the last two days. It's because the deadline was right around the corner, so you had no choice but to do it.
So whenever you set a goal, keep a time limit in mind as it will push you to actually work on it. Now you know how to set smart goals. But there's one last thing.
Most people think that goal setting is a one time event. Like you set your goals once and you're done. However it's actually an ongoing process.
It never ends. Your plans will need evaluation and revision so it's important to stay flexible. Thanks for watching.
Do you have any dreams or goals that you're currently working on? I for example have a goal to run a marathon in the next 6 months. So let me know what you're working towards in the comments below.
Together we'll become better than yesterday.
