You probably have something you would like to do or accomplish in your lifetime. If you feel like you are not getting what you want out of life, maybe you need to sit down and brainstorm about what it is you would really like to be doing. Once you are tired of dreaming about these goals and want to start doing, it's time to turn be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound or target dated) about your goals, says the Mind Tools website.
Specific
Write down anything you have always wanted to do and assign a time frame for when you can reasonably accomplish each goal, advises the Mind Tools website. Depending on the goal, the time frame might be tomorrow, next week, next year, 10 years or even a lifetime down the road. Brainstorm for any other goals that might matter to you and write them down. Assign a time frame to each and be as specific as possible. "Get a good job," for example, is vague. Make it: "Get a job as a wildlife biologist next year" or "Increase production by 5 percent each year for the next three years." Work to be as specific as possible, since this in turn helps delineate which steps you need to take to make each goal happen.
Measurable and Attainable
Break any long-term goals down into smaller, manageable goals. Think of this as setting yourself up for long-term success by also setting the stage for periodic short-term success; it is a nice way of both pacing yourself through what may be a complex process (parenting or establishing a new career, for example), measuring how close you're getting to your goal and also providing yourself with positive reinforcement along the way. Note a time frame for each sub-goals you have set up; keep breaking the goals down until you have got them in the simplest form possible. Make a 25-year plan, a five-year plan, a one-year plan, a six-month plan and a one-month plan of milestone goals to help you meet your long-term goals. Make a day-to-day list, where applicable, of things you can do on any given day (or in some cases, every day) to help push you toward your long-term goals, advises the Advanced Leadership Group website. Suddenly you will find yourself taking daily, manageable steps toward goals that may have, previously, seemed impossibly far off.
Realistic
Life happens. As you track your progress toward short- and long-term goals alike with regular reviews and updates (update your to-do list daily, review short-term goals monthly and longer-term goals every month to six months), remember to be flexible, says the Advanced Leadership Group website. If for some reason you can't meet what seemed like a reasonable goal at first, forgive yourself, reevaluate, brainstorm again if necessary, redefine the goal so that it's once again manageable, and try again. Over time, you may decide that some of your goals are no longer relevant, attainable or interesting. That's all right; just revise your plan according to what does interest you or matter to you now.
Time Bound and Target Dated
The Mind Tools website says you should give yourself a deadline for all your goals, regardless of their size. This helps keep you accountable and ensures continuing forward progress. Without specific target dates for each goal, it's easy to lapse into "I'll get to it tomorrow" mode, which results in a unmanageable workload when the one do-or-die day finally arrives. Deadlines or target dates aren't just sources of pressure; they're also a release from one goal and a chance to move on to the next. When you actually achieve a goal--whether it be a daily milestone or a weekly, monthly or yearly achievement--take time to celebrate or, at the very least, savor the moment. You've just accomplished something you set out to do and taken one step closer to your lifelong goals.
Member Comments