Goal setting is as natural to our everyday lives as eating. Because of this very reality, I won’t bore you with a long winded explanation about the virtues of goal setting. It’s importance, necessity, constructive uses… etc etc. You already know that. It’s impossible to achieve “something” if you don’t decide what that “something” is!
However, the process of how you set goals is an often ignored, but crucial element. I’ve often found that most challenges in my life came from knowing how to begin and how to end, but not the steps in between. Below is a little blueprint I’ve developed for myself, a methodology of sorts, that I’ve found useful to help me develop and adhere to my personal and professional goals.
S.M.A.R.T.
Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Relevant. Time Bound.Specific: The more clearly you define what it is you’re driving to achieve, the more clearly you can define what steps need to be taken to reach your goal. The key is to be bold, audacious even (within reason of course, as I’ll get to later).
Measurable: You can’t improve, if you don’t know where you failed in the first place. Measurable’s allow for accountability and analytics. True humility and growth stem from searching with equal vigor for our greatness and our shortcomings. Both can always be improved upon.
Attainable: Set realistic objectives. If it’s your second day, you should probably expect second day results. Why invite unnecessary disappointment? If you are truly mentally prepared for whatever ambition is to come, you won’t hesitate to begin with.
Relevant: “Stay in your lane.” I say this to myself probably twice a day. If its not relevant to the task at hand, or a larger goal, it usually not needed. Streamline.
Time Bound: Why do we always perform best when the deadline inches towards us second by second? We’ve all done it. I still do from time to time. But, it seems human beings often need a little fire under our rear to get going. So be it. We all know it works!
At the end of the day, only one person can hold you accountable, YOU.
“Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow, what should have been done the day before yesterday.” – Napoleon Hill
All my best,
Jay Kubassek
Thanks for writing this post , i find the information that you have shared of great value to the people that i connect with and going to pass this on to my tribe. I look forward to reading more from you.
Chris
What a great resource!
I love it! Thanks for sharing this with us! Passing it on….
A very practical area for goal setting, and one which is often overlooked is in relation to our careers.
It’s staggering the number of people who experience their career by accident – that is taking whatever comes along, and hoping that it works out well. It’s staggering that the area where we spend at least a third of our waking hours is left to chance, or left to the decisions and whims of others in terms of how much we are paid, how we progress in our career, the direction it takes and so on.
Using S.M.A.R.T goals is a very practical way to begin to steer a course in this important area in our lives.
Great – clear and informative – tks