SMARTER Personal Goals
First, begin with the goal being specific. Think about five W’s: who, what, when, where, and why. If you set a goal that is too general or broad, you will be all over the place. Once you pull from too many directions, it’s a set up for failure. You set a goal to lose weight. Ask yourself and answer the five W’s. Plan in out for success.
Is the goal measurable? What metric or tool will you use to determine if you meet the goal? How will you track your progress and stay on course? Tracking your progress helps you to stay motivated and achieve timelines. When you think of the word measurable ask how much, how many or how will I know?
Goals must be achievable to be successful. Many will set a very high bar when setting a goal. You want to stretch your mind or abilities, but do not overextend yourself. Think about how you can accomplish your goal. Do you have the necessary resources and support to be successful?
Be realistic! Is the goal relevant to what matters to you? Does setting a particular goal make sense? Are you the right person to complete the tasks ahead of you? A realistic and relevant goal should be worthwhile. It should also be the right time in your life to pursue a new personal or professional journey.
Every goal needs a timeline. Set deadlines to complete action items. How much time will you give yourself to be successful? Do you have a week, six months, one year or 18 months? Be reasonable in determining what you can complete within your timeframe.
Evaluate your goals. Then set-up a system to check in on your progress. You will have long and short-term goals. It can be easy to forget or ignore long-term goals. An evaluative process can produce better results in achieving your goals.
Make sure your goals are revisable. You didn’t write them in stone. By consistently evaluating the, you can see what’s working well. Consequently, you can also see what needs re-adjusting. Revising doesn’t mean throwing the baby out with the bath water. It means adjusting and trying a different approach.
Wellness Goals
Now that you have an idea of what are SMARTER goals take a look at my goals as an example. First, I set a goal to improve my health. My focus is on my weight, exercise, and eating habits. Lately, each time I stand on a scale the numbers are more significant than I’d like. Watching what I eat is not a priority, but it will be for the upcoming year. Besides weight loss and eating healthier, I will be more consistent with my exercise. Focusing on my weight, training, and eating healthier will also make my primary care doctor happy.
Financial Goals
The next SMARTER goal is to pay more attention to my finances. My rainy day became a season last year. Due to job loss, I had to access my savings to make ends meet, pay for health insurance, and other necessities. There’s no shame in my game because I’m grateful I had liquid funds in a stressful time. So, a goal is to rebuild my savings. One way to restore is to have multiple streams of income. Use my various professional skills to generate additional funds to pay down debt and add to my savings.
Declutter & Downsize
Another personal goal is to declutter and plan to downsize. Hanging in my closet is too many clothes, shoes, and scarves. People who are less fortunate are in need and can use these items. Therefore, the plan is to clean out the closets and drawers, put the clothes in big bags, and drop off to donation centers.
Get a Social Life
Then there’s my social life that needs improvement. It’s a personal goal of mine to explore more restaurants, plays, music venues, and more. I live in a big city, and there are many things to do. Somehow I fell into the habit of going to the same, comfortable spots and not trying new places for entertainment. Also, I plan to get together with close friends more often for the new year.
Alexa Smart Home
Travel Plans
Lastly, travel is my passion. Going to a new country or city to explore the history, sites, culture, and people brings me great happiness and excitement. As a consultant, I get to travel for business purposes, but there’s little time for exploration. A SMARTER goal for me is to develop better travel plans for trips whether personal or professional. While I love to some spontaneity, I want to make sure to experience all that a particular location has to offer and within a specific budget.
Now that you reviewed my goals, it’s time to think of yours. Whether you want to change your life personally or professionally, creating SMARTER goals can help you to achieve hopes and dreams. Setting goals is a part of life. However, the journey to reach them isn’t always easy. As you prepare for the new year, set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely, Evaluative, and Revisable.
