You probably have heard the proverb, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. Goals without a plan are just “dreams”. Often we dream about what we want in life, but without a plan or roadmap on how to get “there”, it’s not going to happen. So where do you start?
I like to remember the acronym “BE SMART” when goal setting. Goals need to be Balanced, Emotional, Specific, Measurable, you need to be Accountable, Realistic, and Timely.
When formulating your goals, think about Balance. There are many facets to your life and you’ll want to grow each area. Physical, spiritual, intellectual, relational, financial, social… What do you want each piece to look like? Do you want to improve your health? Develop your relationship with God or your higher power? Learn a new language or skill? Connect on a deeper level with your spouse or family? Be debt free or make a special purchase? Volunteer for a community organization? If you are out of balance in any particular area of your life, other areas suffer. Do you want to advance in your career at the expense of your personal relationships?
You must also have an Emotional attachment to your goal… a burning desire or craving. It’s not enough simply to think it would be good to learn to speak Italian, or to know you need to lose 10 pounds. You must yearn for your goal deep in your heart. And, you need to stay connected to that feeling. How do you do that? Create a goal poster with pictures of what your life will look like after you’ve attained your objective. Cut and paste pictures from magazines, draw your ideal, download images, get creative. Just keep visualizing your goal to stay connected and attached.
Goals must also be Specific. It’s not enough to say, “I want to lose some weight”. That’s a start, but a goal would be stated, “I will lose 10 pounds.” Or, “I’m going to earn my company’s incentive trip for myself and my spouse.” A litmus test to determine if a goal is specific enough is, “Is it Measurable?” Ten pounds is definitively measurable; as is earning an incentive trip. “Lose some weight” and “be successful” is not measurable.
If you want to ensure your success, find a buddy and be Accountable to them. I recommend finding someone who has like-goals…perhaps someone at your company who is also working toward the incentive trip, or someone who is also trying to lose 10 pounds. Make sure that your partner cares about you and is interested in your (and their own) success! You may benefit from “tough love” at some point and you want someone who “has your back”, is willing to “tell you like it is” and someone from whom you can hear that kind of message.
Your goals also need to be Realistic. You may desire with all your heart to go on the company’s incentive trip, but are you willing to do what it takes to get there? And do you have the resources necessary to make it happen? Look at your company or industry averages to determine what effort will be required and break it down. If you don’t know what it will take to reach a goal, ask for help (your Upline, if you are in a Direct Selling business).
And finally, make sure your goal is Timely, or that you have a Timeframe for reaching your goal. The specificity needs to include a date or deadline. “I will lose 10 pounds in 2 months”, or “I will reach the number of points necessary for the incentive trip in 6 months.”
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