Whether you’re starting a new project or embarking on a new journey in your life, it’s important to set up a clear plan so you don’t get sidetracked. Setting feasible goals will allow you to achieve everything you want to, without falling prey to excuses.
The best way to ensure your setting yourself up for success is by creating SMART goals. SMART goals are a type of planning method that allows you to clearly identify your target objectives, taking into consideration relevancy, practicality, and obtainability.
By planning your most important projects and life goals using the SMART method, you’ll be able to accomplish everything you set out to achieve. Creating SMART goals will leave you feeling motivated and productive, no matter how busy life may get.
How to Create a SMART Goal
To create a SMART goal, all objectives should follow the five essential factors below.
1. Specific
All goals should be clear and concise to best concentrate your efforts and time. If your goal is too vague, you’ll end up feeling overwhelmed and unsure of where to even start.
Having a specific goal will allow you to begin working towards the plan you set for yourself, making it much easier to stay oriented and motivated.
2. Measurable
The most successful goals are the ones in which progress can easily be tracked. If your goal isn’t practical to evaluate, you’re going to end up having a hard time keeping a record of the progress you make.
Having a measurable goal means knowing exactly when and how your project will be completed.
3. Achievable
Perhaps one of the most important factors when it comes to creating a successful goal is making sure that it’s realistically attainable. If your goal is too demanding or challenging, you might become unmotivated and lose interest over time.
An achievable goal is one that will test your abilities in a healthy and manageable way, taking into consideration exactly how much time and effort is needed to reach your goal.
4. Relevant
All of the goals that you set out for yourself should be ones that you genuinely want to achieve. If you’re passionate about it or if it is significant to your overall efforts of what you want to do in life, then that goal is meeting the relevancy requirement.
If there are other things you should be focusing on or if you aren’t driven to complete your goal, think about changing your objective to fit your life plans and passions.
5. Time-Bound
SMART goals must have a fixed deadline in order to ensure that all your work can be properly completed. If you can’t set a specific date, chances are your goal is either too vague or not very realistic.
As long as you can clearly work towards a certain deadline, you’ll be able to achieve your SMART goal in a timely manner, no matter how much work and effort is required.
How to Meet Your SMART Goals
Once you’ve created your SMART goals to be clear, concise, and detailed, you can begin to work towards meeting them.
If you find that you’re goal needs to be more specific, or that you need to break it down in order for it to be more feasible, then you can easily adjust your SMART goal to suit your needs without getting too far off track.
Conclusion
Remember, goal setting doesn’t have to be difficult, so save yourself the hassle and start crafting your SMART goal today. By sticking to this method, there is no telling what you will achieve.
Featured Image: Person English
