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Welcome back to Day 6 of 31 Days to Living on Purpose!
Yesterday, we brainstormed goals for several categories. Today, I want to help you refine those goals so that you can actually accomplish them.
When setting a goal, you need to be SMART:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Timely
You may have heard this mnemonic device before as it was developed in the early 1980s (first known use) and has been a popular topic for motivation speakers over the years. It provides valuable guidance in refining goals so that they result in success. Let’s break down each of the terms:
Specific – A specific goal, as opposed to a general goal, provides clarity in what you hope to achieve by identifying exactly what you hope to accomplish, the reason for doing so, and what it will take to achieve the goal. An example of a general goal would be “I want to be more healthy.” There is little clarity in what that involves. Specific goals related to health include: “I want to lose 25 pounds.” “I want to exercise 30 minutes a day at least 4 times a week.” “I want to make a meal plan to insure I have healthy food options available.”
Measurable – You must be able to recognize progress in order to achieve a goal. There should be a concrete way of evaluating your goals, i.e. when losing weight, you evaluate by the number of pounds lost.
Attainable – Your goal should be realistic in that you can actually achieve it. A goal can still push you and cause you to work harder, but if the goal is impossible, you are setting yourself up to fail. For example: a goal of losing 100 pounds in 2 months would not be considered realistic. A goal of losing 10 pounds in 2 months might be a stretch for you, but it is doable.
Relevant – Yesterday, we brainstormed goals for several areas of life. While each goal can be viewed individually, you must also look at them as a whole to make sure that one goal isn’t contradicting another or that all of your goals are ultimately leading you to where you want to be.
Timely – Every goal needs to have a specific time-frame in which you can expect to achieve it. This helps with evaluating your progress as well as giving yourself a sense of urgency with a definite deadline in sight.
I want you to develop strong goals that will motivate you towards a renewed purpose. SMART goals will help you refine your goals and move in the right direction.
Check back tomorrow as we discuss how to break goals down into steps to insure success!
P.S. If you haven’t already entered, I’m giving away Sarah Mae’s latest book Longing for Paris: One Woman’s Search for Joy, Beauty, and Adventure-Right Where She Is. The giveaway is open through October 8, 2015.
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