It’s been said that three kinds of people exist in the world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened. It’s easy to watch and even easier to wonder. However, it takes courage, motivation, and drive to stay at the helm of the ship. After all, as a passenger you don’t have to make decisions or take risks. In today’s world it is critical to be in charge and stay in charge of your life.
With so many potential distractions in our day to day live it is critical that we find a way to stay on track. Keep on course and maintain our momentum. As the new year unfolds many of us set those ever exciting “resolutions”, some will decide to make some changes and a select few will set new goals and design a plan of action to achieve these goals.
If you want to be the kind of person who makes things happen, goal setting can be the first step and your key to greater accomplishment. Goals give you direction in life and provide you with a process that can spur you on to achieve great victories. Goal setting also helps you make more effective decisions as a part of the goal setting process itself is deciding what you want and who you want to become. After you’ve answered those questions the major decisions become much clearer.
Being a goal-achiever makes some aspects of life easier, some aspects of life more difficult, and all aspects of life more rewarding. It takes courage to go after what you want and determination to get there, but the benefits far outweigh the effort.
To be a master goal achiever it is critical that your goals are SMARTWAY goals. They should be:
Specific — It may sound silly, but if your goal isn’t specific, it may be hard to tell when you’ve achieved it! “I’m going to get a lot of work done today” is too vague; “I’m going to finish the stack of invoices on my desk” is concrete, and you’ll easily be able to tell when you’ve accomplished it.
Measurable — “I’m going to lose weight” is hard to measure. “I’m going to lose 10 pounds,” isn’t. “I’m going to save money,” not measurable. “I’m going to save up $1000,” measurable.
Achievable — If you’re a 50-year-old couch potato, becoming an Olympic figure skater might just be out of reach. The goals you set should be possible, and achieving them should depend, at least primarily, on things that are under your control. On the other hand, they should also be…
Realistically High —Set the bar high enough to get real satisfaction from your achievement.
Time bound —Just like making a goal specific and measurable, setting a time limit makes your objective clearer and much more definite. It also provides much greater incentive.
Written — Have a pad or notebook and write your goals there. Once you have committed them to writing they take on a life of their own.
Aligned — Be sure they are aligned with one another. Conflicting goals will create confusion and when we are confused as to what to take action on… Well, we usually do nothing.
Yours — The goals must be yours. You must own them, live them and believe in them.
Be sure to build short-term goals into your plan to help you reach your long-term objectives. Accomplishing short-term goals provides a feeling of achievement, illustrates your progress, and helps clarify your direction. When you have your goals, state and design them using the SMARTWAY formula, and carry them with you every day. Find a journal, binder, index card or something that will allow you to carry your goals with you and look at them daily.
Be persistent. As with any journey, there are both peaks and valleys. That’s a part of the adventure. Instead of quitting when you get discouraged, re-evaluate your goals and plans, and get back on target. Remind yourself what you’ve set out to do and why you set out to do it.
While it is great to have goals, without ACTION they are just nice dreams. Define what actions you have to take to accomplish your goals and then put them on your TO DO list today. You can turn to your specific action steps for short-term satisfaction and come away with a sense of accomplishment and renewal. Decide now to be someone who makes things happen. Why not start today, set one SMARTWAY goal that you want to accomplish by next week. Then take the actions necessary to make it a reality. Start today, live your life your way, the SMARTWAY.
Coach Rick Kolster is the Founder and Chief Coaching Officer of Peak Performance Development, a firm that works with companies to help them achieve better business results and increase their bottom-line. Visit http://www.mypotentialplus.com/.