This year, make sure you’re setting SMART goals:
S-Specific
Many of us make super vague goals that don’t tell us exactly what we want to achieve. Saying you want to “lose some weight” is very different than specifying how much weight you want to lose. Saying you want to “cook more” is not the same as specifying how many days you want to cook. When you make your goals specific, it gives you a better target to shoot toward.
M- Measurable
How will you gauge your progress? Your goal has to be something you can measure, which is why it’s important to make it specific. If you want to cook at least 3 days a week, you can easily measure whether or not you have cooked 3 days. If you want to “save $200 a week,” you can measure whether or not you are saving enough money or pinpoint where you can cut expenses in order to reach the goal amount. What gets measured can be improved because you have tangible results to build on.
A- Achievable
We all want to believe we are superheroes. I get it. But, we are not. So instead of setting these goals that are larger than life, set a goal that is challenging, but achievable. Setting grand goals that cannot be achieved can cause frustration and discouragement, which pushes you away from progress. I’m all for being ambitious, but don’t allow the big dream to stop you from waking up and turning it into a reality.
R- Relevant
Set a goal that means something to you and is for a particular purpose. The better connected you are to your goal, the better your rate of success. Doing something just to do it is an easy way to fall off and forget about it, because it wasn’t important to you in the first place.
T- Timed
As they say, a goal without a deadline is a wish. Setting deadlines helps to make your steps more action-oriented and intentional. Set a firm deadline, and then plan what needs to be done to hit the goal by that date.
Your goals should contain all five elements to give you a better rate of success. No more wishing this year. Set your goals, and get to work!
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