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The Importance Of SMART Goals Cannot Be Overstated

 

If you read my previous post, you most likely have a much better idea about the power of using goals to fuel your achievements. After all, we hope that we would definitely be rewarded with our goals for whatever efforts we use. As a start to our long-term ambitions, it will be best if we can set our goals in the right way.  In this post I’m going to explore the importance of SMART goals.

 

The Bigger Picture

Try to picture the success you want to accomplish in your life. Look out into the next 10 years. You could describe this picture by either writing it down, speaking about it, creating a “vision board” or perhaps viewing videos of people whose success you want to replicate.

The next step is to further improve the details of this picture. The more specific, the better. These may be the ‘stepping stones’ or the smaller sized goals that determine how you can reach your ‘larger photo’ type of success.

Now that you have a rough concept of the success you wish to achieve in the future, it is time to set goals by writing them down or otherwise recording them in some permanent.

 

Set Goals that Motivate You – Part 1

Goals with motivational elements, whether intrinsic or extrinsic, are the very best chances we can give ourselves to thrive in life. Enthusiasm, commitment, sense of urgency, interest, creativity and many other favorable qualities are characteristics of goals which motivate us. However, a few of us have created the scenario of  having a lot of goals which we were passionate about. This can potentially become a problem.  When we reach the end of working towards too many goals, it can sap all our energy and we end up getting much less accomplished.

Therefore, before we set out towards our exciting results, we must choose the winner( s) of this ‘goal competitors’.

 

The Goal Competition

So how do we score in this competition?

First of all, we need to understand that some goals may avoid us from reaching  others we have set.  This is true despite how passionate or enthusiastic we are about our goals. Some goals might take us longer to accomplish the ‘bigger picture’ even if they are the easiest to attain as compared to others.

On the other hand, some goals need to be achieved first before we proceed to the next goals.  Do we prioritize the most motivating goal or start with the easiest ones? How about those which are more rewarding, however takes a longer time to attain?

 

 

 

 

While the responses to such concerns are subject to every individual's choices and methods, they are the questions we have to address during the initial phase of setting goals.

In short, our goals are generally competing with one another to be our main focus. We rank the goal, in this competition, by deciding which goal(s) give us the biggest win.  This helps use better understand  which goal we ought to prioritize. In doing this simple, but very important, step, we avoid goal fatigue, vain efforts, lack of focus, energy, mixed emotions.  Most significantly, our motivation to continue working toward the future goal is sustained.

When we can decide to adjust the level of top priorities on each goal, we can anticipate the outcomes of our actions much better from the start.

 

Set Goals that Motivate You -Part 2

What makes these 'winner' goals unique from other goals?

First, we find the goals that give us the deepest significance and fulfillment.  It is these goals to which we are ready to devote our time and resources. They are not just the 'winners' of the goal competitors,  they are also our strongest “motivators”.

 

 

In our mission to achieve these goals, we will be tempted to set new goals and try to achieve them. Nevertheless, goals which really inspire us will withstand the competition from any other brand-new goals.  We will be devoted to finish these goals before the brand-new ones.

Our efforts toward our long-term goals will drive our inspiration. This additionally fuels our enthusiasm for the next goals.

To enhance the inspiration for the goals we have decided to pursue, we ought to make a note of why it's meaningful, essential and valuable to us. Then, we can ask ourselves, "How do I convince other individuals that these goals deserve my effort, time and resources?"

How we answer these questions will form the deep significances and end up being the inspiration persevere in spite of our doubts and our diminishing self-confidence. It is the best reminder of our pledge to devote ourselves to the cause.

 

Why Are Smart Goals Important?

Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time bound goals are goals which we continuously improve and adjust based on the 'winner' goals from the goal. In such way, our meaningful and encouraging goals will not be just a short-term passion without any concrete planning.

Specific goals

Goals which are not plainly defined will not lead us to our desired destinations in life. If the goals are our destinations, and we cannot specify them, we will probably lose our direction during.  This can happen even if we are presented with several techniques to achieve our goals. As mentioned in my other post, we will waste a lot of resources if we do not have conviction in the significance of our goals.

Remember, goals tell us the way to our desired achievements, so we should spell out every single detail to get us to where we want to go.

Measurable Goals

Goals which are not measurable are those which are vaguely defined and thus, we will not have the ability to track our progress. Measuring both our progress and goals and then comparing both can show our efficiency and success rate. Such signs could also be used as analysis for additional improvements in our efficiency.

Body weight management programs, budgeting, running length and time, project completion and many other goals have been comprised of quantifiable results. Using measurements of outcomes, we can tell how much we have advanced.  Not knowing if you have arrived means missing out  on the celebration!

Achievable Goals

Setting goals which are reasonably possible to accomplish means building more success on top of another. On the other hand, dealing with goals which are difficult or too challenging to accomplish will only break our perseverance and enthusiasm in the long term. We will undoubtedly lose motivation if we cannot accomplish anything regardless of our best efforts.

We all need to always resist the allure of setting goals that are too simple to accomplish. Continuously setting simple goals will produce a comfort zone for us. While we indulge in finishing these easy goals, we end up being insensitive to our needs to improve. In the end, we are so scared of failures and non-achievement that we will not run the risk of setting a more aggressive or harder to achieve goal.

The particular way of setting such goals is to divide the goal into quantifiable upper and lower bounds. For example, if you have actually reached the lower border of your goal, e.g. the running distance of 3 miles in 30 minutes, rather than running the exact same distance at the very same time, you might try to run even more in 30 minutes or run the same distance in shorter time.

These goals can be changed from time to time but in certain situations like running, we can definitely attempt at a longer distance.  We clearly know what we can do in 30 minutes.

Simply put, we set achievable goals to be aware of the level of difficulties and the rewards for our efforts. We need to change the levels of difficulties of our goals so as not to fall into our comfort zone or feel de-motivated in the future.

 

 

Appropriate Goals

Focusing on appropriate goals does not just keep us from unneeded ventures into other diversions. Doing so permits us to practice our best abilities, expand our understanding in particular subject, and gain indispensable experience for future development.

It often can be difficult for us to separate the goals which we are really excited about from the ones which we feel matter most to our future. Therefore, it is a primary, yet very vital, action to guarantee our goals are constantly appropriate.

Time- bound goals

Due dates, time frame and even day by day development are a few of the steps we can set for ourselves. Besides, setting goals with a particular timespan will assist us with anticipating challenges and avoid any unneeded delays.

Without such sense of timing, there will be less urgency for us to finish even the simplest jobs. As such, our dedication will decrease and we might even begin to get comfortable with procrastinating on the work.

 

Conclusion

Set SMART goals, be single minded and enthusiastic about attaining those goals, and you WILL be successful. As soon as you are on the course to attaining your personal success, you can even learn from it!

If you do something you are passionate about, you will do it well.  Working at your enthusiasm is enjoyable. It allows you to be more adventurous, and if you like what you do, you're a lot more most likely to be effective.  Set SMART goals to give yourself the best chance to achieving what you dream.