SMART GOALS FOR SUCCESS
Achieving your goals takes commitment and planning. If you fail to plan accordingly, you will unfortunately flop. Set SMART (Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Timely) Goals for yourself. By doing so, you will make it possible to reach your Ultimate Goal just one step at a time. By breaking it down into pieces that you can achieve, you allow your goals to grow systematically. Just like the pyramids, you build your dreams one brick at a time. Each SMART Goal is a building block.
What is a SMART Goal?
Specific - What Do You Want to Accomplish?
By spelling out what you want to accomplish, you are able to create an action plan that will reach that end. You want to be specific, such as grow my email list by 200 people. This is something very specific that can be answered with a yes or no. This is not a time to be vague or indecisive, but very detailed so the end result can be tracked.
Measurable - How Can You Track Your Success?
What you set as your goal should be something that you can quickly show your success or if you aren't on track to reach the goal. Setting a goal such as I want to make lots of money doesn't provide enough detail to make it something that can be measured. It would be more beneficial to be as specific as I want to make $10,000 in the next 2 months. You can easily measure if you reach such a goal.
Attainable - Can You Reach the Goal While Still Being Challenged?
Setting an easy-to-reach goal may seem like a better option, but if you can reach it without much effort or work, then you are setting you goal too low. You should be challenged by what you set while utilizing your knowledge. Starting something completely new without any information or resources will not be a realistic goal. This is supposed to propel you forward, not overwhelm you to the point of failure.
Relevant - Is the Goal Aligned with Your Dream?
Does your goal push you closer to your Ultimate Dream? Is it something that will move you forward in the right direction or is it completely off course? If my ultimate dream is to be a world-renowned expert in sea otters, I would not set a goal to have a published work on elephants. Take the time to research that end dream and make sure each step you take is propelling you towards that end.
Timely - Can You Set a Deadline for Completion?
As I mentioned earlier, you want to make sure your Goal can be measurable. Setting a deadline to reach this SMART Goal is key to making it happen. If you aren't able to set a specific deadline you will have no push to take the steps necessary to get it done. Make it something you are able to accomplish within a time boundary.
There are ways to keep yourself accountable through the steps of accomplishing your SMART Goal.
Invest in a system of tracking and planning that works for you.
Utilizing a program, such as Asana or Adminja, will keep you on track and make it possible to automate systems as you go. Organization is key to helping you reach your goals. Writing it down and setting deadlines for yourself helps keep you on track. By tracking my daily agenda, as well as overall Business plan, I am able to track how my SMART Goals are propelling me forward.
Make reaching your goal part of your daily activity.
Consistency is the name of the game when it comes to building your business goals. Being consistent builds credibility and helps attract your MVPs (Most Valuable Partners). What does it take to be consistent, focused interaction with your current audience, as well as remaining searchable for your future MVPs. By remaining consistent you are staying committed to your business and your dream.
Being present and consistent in your messaging creates a brand that will project your overall message, what you want to accomplish, as well as make it searchable to those looking for just what you have to offer.
Do not discount your own knowledge base and level of comprehension in your area of expertise. By providing value-based content on a regular basis, you will increase your credibility and reach more of your target audience.
Creating SMART Goals that align with your mindset, not what you think you should, is critical to how successfully you reach your goals. Doing something just because you see others finding success with it is not necessarily the right fit for you. If it doesn't feel comfortable to set a goal, just don't. Yes, it should be outside your comfort zone, but not off the scale of what is part of your knowledge base.
Sharing your Goal with an accountability partner, life partner or trusted friend will help keep you on track. You want to share it with someone who will ask you how it's going and hold you to it. This person is there to support your success in reaching your goals but will call you out when you are falling short. Did you post content today? Did you connect with that new lead today? How did the research go on that new topic?
Set yourself up to succeed, not to fail. Careful planning to set SMART Goals will lead you on the right path to reaching your final destination - one of your ultimate success!
Go Set Your SMART Goal today!
If you don't currently have someone to serve as your accountability partner, reach out to me. It would be my pleasure to help you reach your goals!