It’s that time of year when everyone starts looking at setting resolutions for the the New Year…while this is a great idea and a time for reflection, most of the time New Years resolutions are gone by the time Spring Break rolls around. I know that I am also the type of personality that likes to have some semi-instant gratification when I fulfill that resolution so by waiting a whole year to achieve it—I have already lost interest! This year, I am promoting moving from the “New Year’s Resolution” mindset to the “Achieve Your Goals” solution where you can have any number of goals and set you path to achieve them.
So how do you set goals that you can actually achieve? I prefer to set a number of goals each year, but not tied to an annual timeframe. Like a business, I like to think in terms of setting them monthly, quarterly and using a SMART Goal method (I will explain this later!). I started this method about 6 months ago and it has completely changed my mindset and socially/emotionally moved me towards the success that I wanted! For example, here are some of mine from this past year:
- I set an annual goal of writing & publishing my first ebook (Make Kindness Your Culture!)- Success!
- I set a quarterly goal to hit 700K monthly views on Pinterest for the final quarter of the year- Success!
- I set a six-month goal to earn 1000 email subscribers to Work It Women- Success!
- I set a monthly goal of publishing at least 8-10 posts- Success!
- I set a personal goal of ‘getting myself out there!’ by presenting in conferences- I have done 4 major ones this year!
Goal setting is something that you can’t just do on the fly- it does take some thought and process. I am going to share with you my method of creating great ones that you can actually achieve this upcoming year.
Set Goals You Can Actually Achieve
As humans, we are all naturally drawn towards setting goals and structure that we can achieve in life. It’s part of the driving force of our will. Without some type of direction, we would live in a state of chaos…by focusing on setting goals instead of resolutions, you will find more balance as they will have more meaning if they are designed the right way in mind for you.
Learn the SMART Goal Method
When you start to think of goals, either personal or professional, the SMART Goal method will help you organize your thoughts and can be applied to any type of goal building coaching. Use must use this method with a positive mind-set…focus on the things that you can and will do compared to the things that you can’t.
S- Specific- You must think about what type of goal you want to have- as detailed as possible. Think of the who, what, when, why as you describe this specific goal.
M- Measurable- You must determine how you will know when you have reached this goal, what is the evidence, how much evidence do you need- describe the physical manifestations of what reaching your goal actually looks like.
A- Attainable- You must decide personally what this means to you. You have to consider the time constraints, energy needed and prior obligations that may be barriers to reaching your goal- describe your timeframe- is this a monthly, quarterly or annual goal?
R- Relevant- You must think about if this is a goal that will work for you. Do you need to invest in schooling or training to reach it? Describe why you need to have this goal-what will you need to achieve it?
T- Timely- You must consider how much time you will need for this goal. Consider making the timeframe realistic and flexible so you will get that gratification along the way- you don’ want to burn out trying to reach this goal.
Start with Lifetime Goals…
Now you know what the SMART Goal method is, it is time to apply it to your life both professionally and personally. To make a general lifetime goal can seem pretty daunting at first so start to think about it in terms of categories”
- Career – What level do you want to reach in your career, or what do you want to achieve?
- Financial – How much do you want to earn, by what stage? How is this related to your career goals?
- Education – Is there any knowledge you want to acquire in particular? What information and skills will you need to have in order to achieve other goals?
- Family – Do you want to be a parent? If so, how are you going to be a good parent? How do you want to be seen by a partner or by members of your extended family?
- Artistic – Do you want to achieve any artistic goals?
- Attitude – Is any part of your mindset holding you back? Is there any part of the way that you behave that upsets you? (If so, set a goal to improve your behavior or find a solution to the problem.)
- Physical – Are there any athletic goals that you want to achieve, or do you want good health deep into old age? What steps are you going to take to achieve this?
- Pleasure – How do you want to enjoy yourself? (You should ensure that some of your life is for you!)
- Public Service – Do you want to make the world a better place? If so, how?
Spend some time brainstorming what you feel is important to you then start to narrow it down to be able to develop a SMART goal for one or two of these categories. When setting a lifetime goal, you have to stay true to you—don’t choose these categories under the influence of friends and family. This is your best life. Your goals for achieving that life.
Move to Smaller Goals…
With larger goals masterplanned, it is time to consider your smaller goals. These are those quarterly, monthly or even weekly goals that you can apply the SMART Goal method. These smaller goals can be directly related to a larger lifetime goals such as going back to school, getting a certification, changing careers or they can be unique to you and your interests either personal or professional. So as not to be overwhelmed, consider no more than 2 goals for each timeframe.
If you haven’t already, SIGN UP and DOWNLOAD this goal setting printable to help you organize your thoughts from Lifetime to Weekly.
SMART Goal Coaching
Work It Women can support you and your team in setting SMART goals and objectives, turning them into measurable goals and following up on their completion. That means training, helping, steering and cheering on the solution of your personal and professional challenges.
The SMART Goal Method coaching trajectory can be used in all aspects of life. From the start of a business to refining existing processes; from finding the perfect partner to staying together. It brings clarity to your plans and free up energy for achieving your goals. Simply contact us HERE to let us know how we can help!
New to Work It Women? Check out some our recent popular posts that help inspire women to find the perfect work life balance! As always, let us know what you think in the comments!
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