Be SMART About Setting Goals

You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals you build your self-image. You see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them.

Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals  

From Paul J. Meyer's "Attitude Is Everything." 

Specific - A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal.

To set a specific goal you must answer the six "W" questions: 

1. Who:      Who is involved? 
2. What:     What do I want to accomplish? 
3. Where:    Identify a location. 
4. When:     Establish a time frame. 
5. Which:    Identify requirements and constraints. 
6. Why:      Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal. 

Measurable - Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as......How much? How many?  How will I know when it is accomplished? 

Attainable - When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them.

Realistic - To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. 

Time Bound - A goal must have a target date. If you desire to make a million dollars, but don't set the timeline for it, it won't be motivating. A deadline too far in the future is too easily put off. A goal that's set too close is not only unrealistic, it's discouraging.

Long Term Goals: long term goals are simply a description of what you want for yourself in the future -- say about 3 to 5 years out. The best way to define them is to give examples: graduate college, get a good job, find a life partner, get rich quick, etc... 

Short Term Goals:

What can I do 6 months from now?

What can I do 6 weeks from now?

What can I do today?

Goal Setting – Powerful Written Goals In 7 Easy Steps!

Today is MONDAY!  There is something magical about Mondays.  Yes, it's the worst day of the week, but it's also the day we renew our promises, our goals, and hope we can do better than last week.  I post this because for my doTERRA Team and 'Slim & Sassies', it's the day to take a good look at our goals; in weight loss, family life, school, and business.  I found this an interesting read by Gene Donohue.

The car is packed and you’re ready to go, your first ever cross-country trip. From the White Mountains of New Hampshire to the rolling hills of San Francisco, you’re going to see it all.

You put the car in gear and off you go. First stop, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

A little while into the trip you need to check the map because you’ve reached an intersection you’re not familiar with. You panic for a moment because you realize you’ve forgotten your map.

But you say the heck with it because you know where you’re going. You take a right, change the radio station and keep on going. Unfortunately, you never reach your destination.

Too many of us treat goal setting the same way. We dream about where we want to go,
but we don’t have a map to get there.

What is a map? In essence, the written word.

What is the difference between a dream and a goal? Once again, the written word.

But we need to do more then simply scribble down some ideas on a piece of paper. Our
goals need to be complete and focused, much like a road map, and that is the purpose
behind the rest of this article.

1. Make sure the goal you are working for is something you really want, not just something that sounds good.

2. A goal can not contradict any of your other goals.

3. Develop goals in the 6 areas of life:

Family and Home

Financial and Career

Spiritual and Ethical

Physical and Health

Social and Cultural

Mental and Educational

4. Write your goal in the positive instead of the negative.

5. Write your goal out in complete detail.

6. By all means, make sure your goal is high enough.

7. This is the most important, write down your goals.

This was an interesting new look at making goals and keeping them!  I hope it works.  One person commented on this article, "Change I will to I choose to..."