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How to Set Goals – Be SMART

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GoalsAre you setting goals for yourself?  It’s such a simple thing, but it’s a step that many people skip in the rush to start doing real work.  But when you jump right into an activity without setting any goals you are heading down a dangerous path.

When you have no clear goals it becomes easy to confuse activity with accomplishment.  You think you have done a lot of work but in reality you have not accomplished anything of value.

I’ve been guilty of not setting clear goals as I have worked on my career transition plans the last few months. And when I took a close look at my activities I saw that I had not been making the progress for which I had hoped.

So I set aside some time to clearly define what I wanted to do and how I needed to do it.  After that I had a much easier time prioritizing my activities, scheduling my time, tracking my progress and actually completing the tasks I set out to do.

Are You SMART?

One popular method used to set goals is the SMART system.

S = Specific

A specific goal helps clearly define expectations.

To set a specific goal you need to answer the 5 “W” questions.

  • What do I want to accomplish?
  • Why do I want to complete this goal?
  • Who is involved in the project?
  • When do I expect to finish?
  • Where will the work take place?

M = Measurable

Goals need to be measurable so that you can track your progress toward completion of each goal. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience a sense of achievement for each small task that is finished.

A = Attainable

Make your goals realistic.  Your goals should be challenging, but it does no good to set goals that can never be reached.  You will just get frustrated with your progress and might eventually give up entirely.

R = Relevant

Your goals need to relate to what you are trying to accomplish.  Relevant goals help you stay focused on the tasks that have the most impact on the job you are trying to complete.

T = Timely

A goal must have a target completion date.  Goals with schedules and deadlines create a sense of urgency.  Without a sense of urgency it is easy to switch your focus to the unrelated day-to-day tasks that inevitably arise.

How Do You Set Goals?

The SMART method has worked very well for me.  What goal setting methods have you found to be successful?  What problems do you experience when setting goals?

Let me know in the comments.


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