Setting SMART Goals

Being motivated to set goals has to be one of the most difficult aspects of our lives. Many times we start all exited about setting goals and after a couple of days the steam wears off; we have lost the motivation. Many times we loose interest because we feel like every time we attempt it turns into a failure. However, many times we have a predisposed attitude towards being organized, planning and setting goals. This attitude causes us to look at goals in a very wrong way.

Goals are are a critical aspect of our lives and will determine your chances of success. Many of you by now have heard of the acronym SMART, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Actionable or Attributable, Realistic, and Timed. Setting SMART goals is the proper way to ensure that you not only set them but that you will stick and follow through with your goals. If you want to succeed, you need to set goals. Without goals you lack vision; "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18). Goal setting will allow you to take control of your life's direction. Without vision we are vessels in the ocean at the mercy of "luck".

I do not think any of you would be part of a cruise that departs with no specific destination. However, that is what we do when we live our lives in the dark. No idea about how we are progressing towards our values in life. If the only measurement you have about your success in life is the amount of money in the bank then you are destined for a sad and empty life.

Many of us get frustrated with the goal setting process because we do not know how to set them. You can't simply say, "I want" and expect it to happen. Goal setting is a process that starts with careful consideration of what you want to achieve, and ends with a lot of hard work to actually do it. However, in the middle of all that there are defined steps that must be taken for each goal.

How do we set up SMART goals?

S (Specific) - Specificity is the key. Your goals cannot not be vague, for example a goal to “Be more successful in 2011” or "To lose weight" are too vague as it doesn’t define your success. A better goal for a business person is "I will get 10 new clients (this can be further refined to meet your specific business - i.e. you can define the type of clients you are looking for) in 30 days" or "I will lose 10 pounds by X date".
M (Measurable) - To have effective and achievable goals, they must be measurable goals. Quantify and qualify your goals. Being measurable will allow you to tell how near you are to your goal, or, even more, if you’ve actually achieved it already. Another advantage to having measurable goals is that when you are very specific, you tend to have more confidence in the goal, and with true confidence, you are able to achieve true progress.  When you set a goal to acquire 10 new clients in 30 days, you have a specific and measurable goal. It is clear if and when you have achieved your goal. Also, measuring your goals gives you an idea of what it takes step by step to reach that goal, and you are able to monitor your progress.
A (Actionable or Attributable) - It would be silly to set a goal for your
favorite sporting team to win the league if you cannot directly influence that outcome. Goals must be backed by action. If your goal is to lose a specific amount of weight, you must take action and go to the gym and change your eating habits. Just writing it on a piece of paper wont make the weight to melt away.
R (Realistic) - This is where I think most people get frustrated with their goal settings. Setting a goal to "be the number one life insurance agent in the country" when you do not have experience in the industry or to "beat Kobe Bryant on a one-on-one basketball game" when you have never played basketball may be a stretch of you imagination. Setting challenging goals, Aim High Attitude, is great when we take small steps towards the ultimate goal.
T (Timed) - A well thought out goal must include a timescale and must not be open ended. When we set up the goal of acquiring 10 new clients, we also defined by when. If the goal is to get 10 new clients is too vague.



Finally, the key to successful goal setting is to avoid having too many goals. Many times we overwhelm ourselves by setting 23 goals to achieve this week. In fact, I would suggest that you work on one or two goals at a time. Having too many goals makes things complicated and requires a more complicated system for keeping track of your goals. It will also frustrate you; keep things as simple as possible if you can. When you focus on a small amount of goals at the same time it allows you to focus your energies which will make you more effective.