A Quick Guide to Setting up and Achieving S.M.A.R.T. Goals

SMART goals are a way to set goals that will help you achieve your dreams. They are a powerful tool that can be used by anyone, regardless of their current situation.

What is a SMART Goal?

A SMART goal is one that is Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Time-Based.

A SMART goal should be specific. It should clearly define what you want to achieve, without any room for ambiguity.

A SMART goal should be measurable. This means that you should have a way to track your progress and see whether or not you are making any headway towards your goals.

A SMART goal should be Actionable. The first thing to do is to break down your goal into smaller steps that you can take. If it’s too big and broad, then you may feel overwhelmed by the task at hand (especially if this is something new for you). The key is to make sure that each step is easy enough for anyone to complete but challenging enough so that there will be a sense of accomplishment when it’s done.

A SMART goal should be Realistic. The goal should be something that you can achieve. It should be within your realm of possibilities and not something that is impossible to accomplish.

A SMART goal should be Time bound. The goal should have a deadline, so that you can track your progress. It’s important to make this deadline realistic, but it should be challenging enough so that there is a sense of urgency to get the job done.

What skills and resources do you have?

Goal setting is an important part of personal development. The ability to set goals and achieve them can help you realize your potential, build confidence and self-esteem and improve your quality of life.

But how do we know if our goals are Attainable?

Start by asking yourself: “What steps do I need to take in order for this goal to become a reality?” Write your goal down and work backwards, marking down each step and the skills or resources necessary to complete the step.

Really take an honest look at your abilities. You may need some additional skills or resources before achieving your goal. Be honest with yourself about what these might be. Then decide if you want to spend the time to acquire the necessary skills or spend the money to use someone else expertise.

The Method to Make it All Work

Having a goal is a great start, but without a plan to follow, a goal is just wishful thinking. So lets make a successful plan!

Step 1: Pick a Goal

This is personal, so pick something meaningful to you. Something that will make a difference in your life.

Write down your goal, and make it SMART.

Example: I want to earn more money -> I want to earn $1000 monthly, from my side hustle, in 6 months.

Step 2: Break It Down

The next step is to break down your big goal into manageable chunks. Want to lose 12lbs. in 3 months? Break it down to 4lbs per month or 1lbs each week.

You can break down goals by steps or stages too. Do you want to attend school to learn a new career? Then spend 2 weeks researching appropriate courses or schools. Then the next 3 weeks making applications. Then, after receiving acceptance letters, apply for financing, housing, transportation… you get the idea.

Step3: Make a plan

Now that you have manageable numbers, steps or stages, you need a plan for daily actions. Consistent, daily actions is what will get you to your goals.

For the Earning more money example, it would look like this.

• $1000 monthly = $250 weekly
• $10 digital product needs to sell 25 times weekly

To drive traffic to the sales page organically, there needs to be a focus on using one social media platform and a schedule of 4 posts daily. 1 educational, 1 entertaining, 1 inspiring/quote and 1 engaging. How this looks on a daily basis will differ from person to person.

Remember, a really great plan will grow and change with you overtime. So revisit your Goals, Steps and Plans often, and adjust as necessary.

Final Thought

Sometimes no matter how hard we try, or how consistent we are, we hit an obstacle we just can’t get through on our own.

This is where having an accountability partner or coach can be just the thing you need. Someone to look at your goals and plans with fresh eyes and experience.

But if your not ready for a partner or coach I have SMART Goals Worksheets available for purchase in the shop.

Do you struggle with setting or achieving goals? Have you already achieved your goal? Share your experiences in the comments below! I look for to reading your stories and achievements!