Setting your Smart Goals part 2
In my previous post we talked about setting your long-term vision of success, in this article you will learn how to effectively build you S.M.A.R.T. goals . Take every goal you have written down and think carefully and specifically about what you need to do to reach it. To set a SMART goal: Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Relevant. Time-Bound; every goal must meet these 5 criteria:
Specific:
Your specific goal must clarify the way with as much preciseness as possible. Vague or generalized goals don’t provide enough direction and therefore have fewer chances of being accomplished. You need them to show you the way so make sure they are clear and well defined. In order to set a specific goal you must answer the six “W” questions:
1- WHO: who is involved? Am I alone on this or do I need someone’s help?
2- WHAT: what exactly do I want to accomplish?
3- WHERE: identify the location.
4- WHEN: establish a time framework.
5- WHY: identify the purpose of accomplishing this goal, the specific reasons or ultimate benefits of reaching this goal.
6- WHICH: identify the necessities to get there and the limits that might restrict you.
Measurable:
The second criterion for a well set goal is to be measurable. Now the focus here is on making the goal as assessable as possible to be able to keep track of progress. If your goal is not calculable, you cannot identify whether you are making steps forward towards the completion of your objective. Measuring your goal helps you or your team to stay on track, reach your finishing point on time and experience the euphoria of achievements. For a goal to be measurable, make sure you answer the 3 “H” questions:
How much?
How many?
How will I recognize when it’s accomplished?
Attainable:
An action-oriented goal is an achievable goal; when you set realistic yet challenging goals, you hit the balance you need. These are the types of goals that require you to “raise the bar” and they bring the greatest personal satisfaction. If you set extreme goals that are too high for you to reach they become unrealistic, you only demoralize yourself and wear down your confidence. However, resist making goals too easy that don’t require real effort and create a seed of fear for setting future goals with a risk of non-achievement. The idea is to set a goal that requires you to stretch out of your comfort zone: develop skills, abilities and financial growth to reach them. So ask yourself:
How can I reach this goal?
How realistic is my goal based on constraints?
Relevant:
This criterion stresses on choosing goals that matter. Many times you set goals that lack the relevance; but without the significance of a goal and the fact that it is aligned with your other goals or the overall goals of your team, it is less likely to be accomplished. This is why your goal must be result-oriented. A relevant goal can drive you, your team and all of your organization forward. So make sure that the answers to the questions below are yes:
Is this goal worth the effort?
Does this goal meet our needs?
Is it the right time to accomplish it?
How can I reach this goal?
How realistic is my goal based on constraints?
TIME-BOUND:
Without the time frame to measure your success, you miss out on the opportunity to celebrate your achievements. A goal remains a dream without the time you set out to realize it. So make sure you set a precise time like this “18th June 2016” for example and not like “in the next few months”. It’s important to keep track of the time for every goal; it doesn’t matter if you reach it or not. The purpose is to quantify the result. You want to know absolutely, positively whether or not you hit the goal.
Stay tuned for next week’s part three of properly setting goals & reaching them; where we will discuss the practical follow up of every goal you have written down to help you reach it faster. By the end of part three, you will be fully ready to step into action and attain your success vision personally crafted by your dreams.