Strategy: How to Set SMART Goals

Goals are Dreams with work boots on

Some people find writing goals easy and others find the process frustrating.  The secret to writing goals is to work backwards.  What is the end result you are trying to achieve?  What is the big dream?  And think about how you can achieve your dream in practical steps.  Goals are about the 'Specific How' in our lives.  They are the specific steps to achieving what you want to see revealed in the world.

Goals need to be SMART:

S pecific (What?):  What do you want to achieve?  Goals need to be clear-cut so that you can focus your life and create momentum.  Achievement is obtained when you know exactly what you need to do.  This is important so that you can use the skills you have, increase your skills (capacity) if necessary, or get help to achieve your goals.

M easurable (How?): How much time, money, effort will it cost me?  The logistics of a goal are important.  Understanding what it will cost you as a person is important to understanding how much energy you will need to put into accomplishing your goal.

A ttainable (Why?):  Is this goal realistic?  Goals need to be 'doable' otherwise you will feel frustrated by poor results.  Talking to people who have attained similar goals helps to assess whether it is something you want to commit your time and energy to.  Finding ways to develop your skills towards a goal is a better intention than assuming your goal will be created out of sudden transformation.

R elevant (Why?):  Is this goal important to my dream?  Is this the right time to set this goal? Does this goal motivate me forward, and align with the other things I want to achieve in my life.  If you are not equipped to achieve your goal you are going to have to spend a lot of time finding people to create success.  Keep thinking about the relevancy of your goal so that you do not spend a lot of time on something that does not suit your skill set or giftings.  For example, starting a business in food when you don't have any previous experience in food or hospitality may mean a lot of financial hardship.  It would be better to develop your home cooking skills.  Begin your business idea with a personal interest first, means you are sure this goal is relevant to your life dream.

T imely (When?):  When is this goal going to be achieved?  This is one of the most important steps in goal setting.  It is important to review your goals to make sure that you are on target.  Time-bound goals mean they will come to pass.  We are often motivated to focus more, use more energy and increase intensity based on understanding the time frame of our goals.  Athletes often talk about 'pushing over the finish line'.  Time-bound goals help us push towards the finish line and put in intense effort to complete an action, or re-adjust our lives to bring a goal pass.  Time-bound goals decrease inertia and procrastination and increase action.

Thought Sentences to Complete:

My Goal is to...

I want to achieve this goal because...

To achieve this goal I need to...

This is important because...

This goal will be achieve in...

A goal without a plan is just a wish - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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