Being that it is the beginning of a new year, you have probably set out to accomplish some big, important goals this year.
Most people look to kick bad habits, get in shape, make more money, read the Bible, get out of debt, spend more time with family, and so on and so on.
But, for the most part, by early March, most of those goals and dreams are a distant memory.
People have fallen off the bandwagon, forgotten about the goal altogether, or simply became overwhelmed by the sheer thought of it.
However, this doesn't have to be your story for 2012.
You can enjoy the feelings of success and accomplishment when you have achieved your goals this year.
You can savor in the satisfaction of knowing you can do whatever you put your mind to.
You will know that if you focus on your success and take consistent action, you can move your life forward powerfully.
That's what you can do when you set good, solid goals and then work diligently to accomplish them.
When you start thinking of your goals, they should align with your values and you should be able to share why you want to achieve them.
Understanding the "why" or your reasons for wanting to achieve your goals is a very important but often overlooked step.
Therefore, when you write out each goal, describe why accomplishing that goal is important to you.
You can then refer to that statement when the going gets tough.
Remembering why you are trying to reach that goal should give you the incentive you need to keep pushing through.
Now, let's take a look at the makeup of a good, solid goal.
When you set your goal, they should be S.
M.
A.
R.
T.
S - Specific: Your goal should be specific.
If you set a money goal; you should state how much you wish to earn, save, give away, etc.
You may say something like this; I will earn $100,000 this year or I will increase my income by $10,000.
However, you should not simply state that you want to earn more money.
M - Measurable: Your goal should be measurable.
You need to be able to determine if you are on track to meet your goal and when you have successfully met your goal.
This is also why having a specific goal is important.
A - Attainable: Your goal should be within your reach.
It certainly should stretch you.
However, you also want to be able to achieve it.
If you set a goal to earn $100,000 this year but you can really only see yourself making $50,000 working 60 hours a week, this may not be a realistic goal for you.
If this was your situation, you can probably set your goal to earn $10,000 more or to get a promotion or start your own business, etc.
When you see your goal on paper or share it with someone, it should make you both excited and nervous.
You should feel that you will need a little divine favor to accomplish it.
R - Relevant: Your goal should be significant to you and the bigger vision you have for your life.
It should align with your core values and improve one of the key areas of your life.
T- Time Limited: Your goal should have some time parameters, meaning it should have a deadline.
If you have set them to be achieved by December 20, 2012, then you have put a time frame on it.
You may even have a 6 month or a 3 month goal and that works too.
Just be sure to give yourself some time constraints.
If you haven't already, go set some goals.
Put them on paper.
Prioritize them based on your values or what is most important to your overall improvement.
As you consider your goals, keep in mind that having a list of 3-5 big goals is more realistic than having a list of 15 goals and the smaller list helps you maintain your focus.
For example, I will set a money goal, a career goal, and a personal goal or two.
I learned a few years back that I accomplished all my goals when I focused on a select few at a time.
However, I hardly accomplished any when I spread myself too thin by having a list of 20.
Even if you have set some goals for this year, go back and review them and make sure they meet all the requirements described above, including why the goal(s) is important to you.
It's no mystery that setting goals regularly and accomplishing them is the primary reason people give for their success.
You can be one of those people giving your testimony too.
Having good, solid, and S.
M.
A.
R.
T goals is the first step.
In a later issue, we will take a look at the next step of goal attainment which is developing the action plan.
Now, go put your goals on paper and then stop by my blog and let me know what they are.
Keep in mind that everything you do will either take you farther away from your goal or closer to reaching your goal.
Which direction are you heading?
Most people look to kick bad habits, get in shape, make more money, read the Bible, get out of debt, spend more time with family, and so on and so on.
But, for the most part, by early March, most of those goals and dreams are a distant memory.
People have fallen off the bandwagon, forgotten about the goal altogether, or simply became overwhelmed by the sheer thought of it.
However, this doesn't have to be your story for 2012.
You can enjoy the feelings of success and accomplishment when you have achieved your goals this year.
You can savor in the satisfaction of knowing you can do whatever you put your mind to.
You will know that if you focus on your success and take consistent action, you can move your life forward powerfully.
That's what you can do when you set good, solid goals and then work diligently to accomplish them.
When you start thinking of your goals, they should align with your values and you should be able to share why you want to achieve them.
Understanding the "why" or your reasons for wanting to achieve your goals is a very important but often overlooked step.
Therefore, when you write out each goal, describe why accomplishing that goal is important to you.
You can then refer to that statement when the going gets tough.
Remembering why you are trying to reach that goal should give you the incentive you need to keep pushing through.
Now, let's take a look at the makeup of a good, solid goal.
When you set your goal, they should be S.
M.
A.
R.
T.
S - Specific: Your goal should be specific.
If you set a money goal; you should state how much you wish to earn, save, give away, etc.
You may say something like this; I will earn $100,000 this year or I will increase my income by $10,000.
However, you should not simply state that you want to earn more money.
M - Measurable: Your goal should be measurable.
You need to be able to determine if you are on track to meet your goal and when you have successfully met your goal.
This is also why having a specific goal is important.
A - Attainable: Your goal should be within your reach.
It certainly should stretch you.
However, you also want to be able to achieve it.
If you set a goal to earn $100,000 this year but you can really only see yourself making $50,000 working 60 hours a week, this may not be a realistic goal for you.
If this was your situation, you can probably set your goal to earn $10,000 more or to get a promotion or start your own business, etc.
When you see your goal on paper or share it with someone, it should make you both excited and nervous.
You should feel that you will need a little divine favor to accomplish it.
R - Relevant: Your goal should be significant to you and the bigger vision you have for your life.
It should align with your core values and improve one of the key areas of your life.
T- Time Limited: Your goal should have some time parameters, meaning it should have a deadline.
If you have set them to be achieved by December 20, 2012, then you have put a time frame on it.
You may even have a 6 month or a 3 month goal and that works too.
Just be sure to give yourself some time constraints.
If you haven't already, go set some goals.
Put them on paper.
Prioritize them based on your values or what is most important to your overall improvement.
As you consider your goals, keep in mind that having a list of 3-5 big goals is more realistic than having a list of 15 goals and the smaller list helps you maintain your focus.
For example, I will set a money goal, a career goal, and a personal goal or two.
I learned a few years back that I accomplished all my goals when I focused on a select few at a time.
However, I hardly accomplished any when I spread myself too thin by having a list of 20.
Even if you have set some goals for this year, go back and review them and make sure they meet all the requirements described above, including why the goal(s) is important to you.
It's no mystery that setting goals regularly and accomplishing them is the primary reason people give for their success.
You can be one of those people giving your testimony too.
Having good, solid, and S.
M.
A.
R.
T goals is the first step.
In a later issue, we will take a look at the next step of goal attainment which is developing the action plan.
Now, go put your goals on paper and then stop by my blog and let me know what they are.
Keep in mind that everything you do will either take you farther away from your goal or closer to reaching your goal.
Which direction are you heading?
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