WRITING SMART GOALS

   The Art Of Writing Smart Goals

Setting SMART goals increases the likelihood that you'll succeed. In truth, we are all so resistant to change that we often try to sabotage our success even in the way we write our personal development plans. We'll not allow ourselves enough time or we'll not be specific enough in how we set our goals. Often we do this unconsciously and then end up failing and feel perplexed as to why.

Writing SMART goals helps with managing your resistance to change. You'll also find it easier to develop motivation, even in the hard times. This makes you much more likely to last the distance.

Ready to start creating your personal development plan? Below you'll find an explanation for what SMART goals are plus an action plan template you can download to use for writing your SMART goals on paper.

What Are Smart Goals?

 We've all heard the acronym... but what are SMART goals exactly? SMART is a system or a framework for judging the components of your goal. It stands for:

Specific 
Measurable 
Attainable 
Relevant 
Time bound 

Every SMART goal has these attributes.

Setting SMART Goals: Specific

To achieve a goal, you need to be specific about what it is. Otherwise it's difficult to turn your vision into set tasks. To be specific, your goal should state clearly what you intend to accomplish. This will allow you to know exactly what you're working toward. For example, if you've been neglecting your health of late, your specific goal might be to start replacing junk food with fruit, or to workout three times a week for 45 minutes.

Setting SMART Goals: Measurable

Making a goal measurable makes it possible to monitor your progress. It also forces you to become clear on where you're starting from which is always important. If your goal is too undefined, you'll find it's impossible to tell when you have even achieved it. Your goal is measurable if you are 100% clear what success will look like and what failure will look like too.

Setting SMART Goals: Achievable

Research has shown that one of the most important elements of success is having a goal that's achievable. It's easy to get caught up wanting to something HUGE. But the problem is, it's difficult to stay motivated over the long run if your goal seems unattainable. You will easily feel hopeless and abandon your efforts. To ensure your goal will motivate you, break a really large goal down into smaller ones. At the same time, you don't want your goal to seem too small. The best size is one that stretches you without breaking you.

Setting SMART Goals: Relevant

A goal is relevant if it ladders up to your larger goals and even your purpose statement. For example, if you say you want to afford all of your children the best education possible, yet you decide a short-term, two-year goal is a cruise that will use up all of your family savings, then it seems your short-term goal is in conflict with your bigger vision.

A goal is also only relevant if it's personally motivating for you. If you are setting out to achieve something to please someone else, it's unlikely you'll last the distance.

Setting SMART Goals: Time Bound

Deadlines are critical. They keep you in action and they keep you motivated. Without a time limit there's no urgency to start taking action now. Make sure you are realistic with your time frame. There's nothing less motivating than missing your goal all because you didn't allow yourself the right amount of time.

Make sure that you follow these principles when developing goals and you'll increase your likelihood of success. Once you've formulated your goals, download the action plan template and put your goals and personal development plan on paper. Having your goals on paper is another way of actively managing your resistance to change.