New Years Day has come and gone, but we’re still in the works of our first month in 2016, which means we’re still figuring out our goals and how to accomplish them like a boss. Did you know that only 8% of the population actually accomplish their goals while 49% are unsuccessful at achieving them? What sad numbers!
Right now, you’re on fire and you’re thinking to yourself, “I’m going to be the 8% that succeeds in my goals! I can feel it!” Like I mentioned in my last blog, I want to help you be part of the 8%, even when the summer months roll around! I don’t want you to fall into the 49% of people who don’t make their goals come true.
I have heard it said many times that those who write down their goals are more likely to accomplish or exceed them. I read that you’re 80% more likely to achieve your goals when you write them down!
Today, I’m going to encourage you to write down your goals. Take some time out to do that; if only 8% of people accomplish their goals that means they probably wrote them down at some point. If you want to have the odds in your favor, then you should write them down.
But let’s not just write them down; let’s make these goals S.M.A.R.T.!
Many of you have heard me talk about this and I’m going to go into more detail today about this magical goal setting tip called S.M.A.R.T.
S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time bound. (I”ve read that it can also mean Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time bound; both structures work)
Today, I’m going to break it down for you:
Write down your Specific goal. Is it to lose weight? Write a book? Start writing prompts daily? Publish a book? Create more freebies for your business? Whatever it is, make if very specific and simple.
Once you have your Specific goals written down, you need to make them Measurable. I interpret this as a setting a date for your goal. If you’re wanting to lose weight, by what date would you like to lose X amount of pounds? For example, you can say, “I will have lost 25 pounds by April 1, 2016.”
Measurable also means to have your goal set in a measurable amount of time. You don’t want to say you’re going to lose 25 pounds by February 1 as that’s unrealistic. Everything you do is baby steps, so measure your goal in a measurable and attainable time frame.
Next is the hardest part to do: make your goal Actionable. What actions are you going to take to lose that weight? What actions are you going to do to write your book? I say this is the hardest part because it’s one thing to write them down and another thing to do them. However, if you want your goals to come to past, there must be action.
Make a plan of action to accomplish this goal: if you’re wanting to lose weight, then your actionable plan might be to exercise three times a week for 30 minutes. If you’re wanting to write a book, then your actionable plan might be to write down how many words you need to write during the time frame you’ve given yourself to be on track. We’ll discuss breaking this down even more below.
Are your goals Realistic? Are your goals unattainable or attainable? Can you commit to exercising for 30 minutes three times a week? Can you write X amount of words in a week/month?
Making your goals realistic will help you keep your goals attainable. If you write them unrealistically to your life, then you will become overwhelmed and quit. Don’t destroy your chances before you even start.
Finally, make them Time Bound. This means you will begin breaking down your goals into practical daily or weekly habits. I’ve already mentioned that if your goal is to lose weight, then your actionable plan might be to exercise three times a week (with the days and times you’ll be at the gym). If your goal is to write your book, then you’ll need to figure out how many words you are going to write monthly. Break it down into a weekly word count. Then a daily word count.
The S.M.A.R.T. way of setting goals is to help you form your overall goal, set a date, make actionable plans, and then break your main goal down into baby steps so you can be on your way to greatness!
I have put together a video telling you my S.M.A.R.T. goals to help you gain a greater understanding of how I’m implementing it into my life and how I’m using it to achieve greatness!
