8 Steps to Setting SMART Goals and Achieving Them
In life, there are many different situations that can arise. Some are easy to tackle, while others may require a little bit more thought. If you’re reading this article, it’s likely that you have identified one of these situations in your life. Maybe you want to achieve something new and exciting, but you just don’t know how. Perhaps you need some motivation in your life to push you in the right direction. Whatever the case may be, setting goals is a great way to tackle any situation and improve your life in general. In order to set effective goals, they should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound (SMART). Achieving them doesn’t have to be difficult either! In this blog post we will take you through the process of setting SMART goals and give some tips on how to achieve them!
What Are SMART Goals?
SMART is an acronym that describes how to create a goal that is more likely to be achieved.
Specific – It’s important to be specific when setting goals. For example, if you want to lose weight, it won’t do you much good to say that you want to lose weight. Instead, set a goal to lose 25 pounds by running 5 miles per day.
Measurable – How do you know if your goal has been achieved if there is no way to measure it? For example, if you want to save $10,000 by the end of the year, how will you know if you have succeeded? If you have set a goal to save $100 per month, you will know exactly how close you are to meeting your goal.
Achievable/ Attainable – If a goal is too easy, there will be little satisfaction in achieving it. If a goal is too hard, it may cause you to give up before even starting. There may be a middle ground – but keep in mind that it is always better to start with something easy and work your way up to more challenging goals.
Realistic – Any goal needs to be realistic; it should be based upon the present situation or reality. Otherwise, the set goal will be next to impossible and any attempt to accomplish those will go in vain.
Time-bound – Time factor plays a crucial role while setting goal. Fulfillment of any goal should consume specific time and the process cannot go for infinite time. So, at the time of setting any goal, one should allot a fixed time period to accomplish the same.
How to Set Your Goals
When you set a goal, you’re envisioning what your future self will be like. So when you’re setting a goal, it’s important to really get inside the mind of your future self. Ask yourself things like: How do you feel? What are you doing with your life? What do you want to achieve? Once you’ve answered these questions, it will be easier to set your goals. After you’ve set your goals, you’ll want to write them down and keep them somewhere where you can easily see them. This way, every time you walk past them, you’ll be reminded of your goals. This can help drive you to achieve them!
Follow a Schedule
The best way to stay on track with your goals is to set a schedule and follow it. You may want to set aside a specific time of the day to work on your goals. This can help you stay focused and dialed in! If you have multiple goals to work towards, you may want to set a schedule for each one. One of the best ways is to create a daily task list and include your goals on it. You can also set up a schedule for how often you want to work towards your goals. If you want to read more often, for example, you may want to set a goal to read for 15 minutes every day.
Make It Urgent
Urgency is a very important factor that can help you achieve your goals faster. For example, let’s say you want to start a side business but you’re not sure where to start. You need to make it urgent by setting a time limit. Maybe you decide to spend a month researching different ideas and then another month building your website. This way, you’ve set an urgent time limit to help you achieve your goal. Urgency is important because it can help you focus on one thing at a time. You don’t want to have too many goals on the go at once because you will end up getting overwhelmed and accomplishing nothing. Setting a time limit for each goal is a great way to stay focused and driven.
Ask for Help
You don’t have to do everything on your own. It’s okay to ask for help! If you’re struggling with a certain goal, you may want to ask someone who has experience with that field for some advice. This can help you stay focused and make progress much faster! You can also consider joining a support group or hiring a coach or mentor to help you along the way. This can give you motivation and extra support to make sure you stay on track and achieve your goals.
Advantages of Goal Setting
There are a lot of great advantages to setting goals and working towards them. Some of these include: Having direction in life – When you set goals, it helps you to know what direction your life is going in. This can help you feel more confident and in control of your life. Increased productivity – When you know what you need to do, it’s easier to stay focused and productive. This can help you to get more done in less time and feel more accomplished. Improved self-esteem – When you set goals, it helps you to see what you’re capable of achieving. This can help you to see your true potential and build self-esteem as you achieve goals.
Conclusion
The way to get the most out of life is to do something that will make a difference and leave a legacy. It is not enough to just sit around and wait for things to happen and for the wheel of fortune to turn your way. You have to get out there and make things happen. That is what successful people do. They know exactly what they want, they plan how they are going to get it and then they do it. Setting SMART goals is a great way to start!
