Do you know SMART? No, not the candy. That’s Smarties…though there’s nothing wrong with satisfying a sweet tooth — all in moderation, as they say. What I’m getting at is being SMART in setting goals. I touched on the topic briefly in last week’s blog post, but I wanted to go into further detail, so I’ve put together a whole podcast on it.
Click here to listen to Do You Use SMART.
Have a great day!
Cardiff
Thanks for your patience. Today begins the weekly Sustained Achievement blog. Over the next four weeks, the topic will be all about GOALS. Even though January has come and gone, there’s still time for you to accomplish your # 1 goal. That’s why in this week’s kick-off blog I share four reasons on how you can accomplish your # 1 goal before the end of the year. I trust you’ll enjoy the blog. I’ve definitely enjoyed working on it. If you find my advice of value, share it and spread the word about the Sustained Achievement blog.
Whenever you put your attention towards something, your energy will flow into it. Think about your morning routine for a second. What do you do before you head off to work? Obviously, you grab a bite to eat. But do you read, pray, meditate, exercise, or make a habit of something each and every day?
Now, consider what you do purposefully. Are any of the things you do in the morning (or the afternoon and evening, for that matter) done with purpose?
These are often the things you devote the most energy to, and that’s exactly how you should approach goals — both in setting and tackling them. If you don’t approach goals with purpose, you can’t expect to achieve them.
So, how exactly do you go about setting, and thereby achieving, goals with purpose?
1. Start with why. When you don’t take the time to determine why you want to achieve a goal, it doesn’t really hold much value. It just becomes something you think you should do. But knowing why you want to accomplish that goal or objective helps put your efforts into perspective. You have a purpose behind your actions.
Take weight loss, for example. Why would you want to lose weight? Is it to be in better shape? Is it to reduce the risk of health issues? What about something as simple as just feeling better? Whatever the reason, take the time to define your why.
But don’t stop there.
After you’ve arrived at your first reason, ask yourself again. If you want to reduce the risk of health issues, maybe the second reason would be lowering your health insurance premiums.
Now, repeat the process five times. It’ll get you to the true why and serve as the catalyst to hit your goal. It has to be more than just one response.
2. Get SMART. Like determining why you want to achieve something, getting SMART with your goals can take them from vague to concrete. The process also helps in creating an action plan to achieve your goals. As you sit down to set a goal, define it in five ways: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely.
If a goal doesn’t fall within each these categories, go back to the drawing board and rework it until it’s SMART. Set aside some time to really look at your goals in a variety of different ways to determine whether they’re specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely.
3. Schedule it. Scheduling a goal is slightly different than setting a timeframe for when you hope to accomplish it. So, write down your goals on your calendar and block out time for when you’ll work toward achieving them. You’re essentially creating an action plan that will take you from Point A to Point Z.
4. Journal the process. Each day, work toward completing the tasks necessary to achieve your goal. Then, take the time to jot down your progress. Make note of any wins you’ve had during the day. Follow that up by planning what you’ll do tomorrow to get you closer to your goal.
Getting the journey in writing makes the process more concrete. It’ll also help keep you on track and provide you materials to review, which can inform you on what’s working and what needs changing. I suggest doing this quarterly and investing in The Freedom Journal, a book that helps you accomplish your number one goal in 100 days.
Generally, we set goals for one reason: to make a change.
That’s why it’s so important not just to be thoughtful in establishing your goals but to be aware of them as you move forward. You could arrive somewhere along the path and find a particular goal no longer suits you. It simply needs changing, and that’s okay. Because it isn’t solely about the goal itself, it’s also about the journey that gets you there.
If you implement these strategies and use The Freedom Journal, you give yourself the highest possibility to achieve your number one goal before the end of the year. I’m personally using it right now and can help you in any way.
I believe your number one goal can still be attained.
