In my previous article, I discussed the importance of dreaming big dreams. It gives you the power to overcome fear and procrastination and achieve anything you want. If you have big dreams, how do you make them real? The next step is to set goals, which are the building blocks of your dreams. The way to properly set goals is to use the S.M.A.R.T. formula, which is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time certain.
I'll explain these components in more detail shortly, but first I'd like to discuss the different types of goals you can set for yourself. Bob Proctor talks about the ABC goals. He says that most people choose A level goals, which are those goals you are comfortable with because you've achieved them before. For example, if a person has lost 5 pounds, his next goal would be to lose 5 pounds. They're not the type of goals that will get you to where you want to be. The B level goals are those you have never achieved, but not too far beyond what you've done before. Maybe your goal is to lose 15 pounds, but in your previous goal, you lost 10 pounds. These goals will stretch you, but not that much. The C level goals are those that really take your breath away. They're so big that they frighten you, but are big enough to take you through obstacles and reward you for what you want. These are the types of goals you should aim for if you want to get closer to your dreams.
When creating your C level goals, make sure to follow the S.M.A.R.T. formula as follows:
Specific – It's not enough to say that your goal is to "make more money" or "lose weight". You need to be more specific, such as "I want to increase my yearly income by 15%" or "I want to lose 10 pounds". People struggle with goal setting because they have not been specific enough. If you don't have a target or something to aim for, you're going to be all over the place with no focus. When you have clarity of your goals, you stand a much better chance of achieving them.
Measurable – If it's not measurable, then it's not a goal. If you're watching a sporting event and there is no scoreboard, how would you know which team would win? The same holds true with a goal – without something to measure it by, how can you chart your progress and evaluate it? You won't know if you met it or exceeded it.
Attainable – This is a tricky one because limiting thoughts might start to kick in. Don't look at a goal from a belief standpoint, but rather from a commitment standpoint. Can you reach the goal based on the commitment you can give to it? For example, if you want to run a marathon, and have never ran a marathon before, can you dedicate the time and effort to train for one? Don't say to yourself that this is not attainable, but rather can you invest the time to commit?
Realistic – This is another tricky one just like attainable. Does your goal violate certain physical laws? For example, do you want to go from dead broke to earning $100K within one month, if you've never done it before or made the necessary preparations? This is probably not realistic, but once you have more experience, it's probably realistic to say that you can earn $100K in one month.
Time certain – Most people don't put deadlines on their goals. If you want to lose 50 pounds, when do you want to lose it by? A dream is nothing more without a deadline on it. If you didn't meet your deadline, don't get discouraged. Simply extend the deadline, but you must keep taking action and not give up. Don't ever procrastinate.
