SMART Goals - Why is Goal Setting Important to your Success?The quickest way to success is by setting goals. We have all heard about it, been encouraged to do it, and usually have managed to avoid it. The process of goal setting forces a person to take an honest look at their life. The power behind success is the ability to be able to verbalize your dreams and desires and write them down in a usable form. Using the SMART process demystifies the goal setting process. What is SMART?
Let's use our water drinking example and develope a goal. We want to drink 8 glasses per day (specific) by the end of a month's time (time bound) to help lose weight. (relevant). In this example, let's say we drink 3 to 4 glasses per day.
That almost seems too simple. But that is the way it works. By week 4 and maybe even by week 3, your habit of drinking water has changed and your goal accomplished. Now drinking 8 glasses of water is a routine that you don't have to think about. The SMART process works in all life aspects, whether personal, relationships, business, etc. Sometimes the difficulty can be in making the goal measurable. If you are having difficulty in applying SMART, you may need to break your goal down into smaller pieces. But the original goal can be the long term goal with the break downs the short term goals. It is very important, along with the measurable part, to include reward. As you record your activity, once the day is completed, give yourself a reward, whether it is a check mark or a smiley face. Give yourself a bigger reward at the end of the week. It is also important in this process to not beat yourself up, if the day goal is not met. Reaffirm your commitment to the next day and you will be back on track. Start your goal process today. Grab a piece of paper and write down all sorts of ideas on what changes you want to make in your life. Remember to apply SMART and start off slowly with a small change. You will quickly see the power of written goal setting. |