Why Set Goals?
How do you set your own goals? Do you have a plan for how you will achieve them? If not, then it is time to get started. Setting goals is one of the most important things that individuals can do to reach their full potential. Without goals, we would be aimlessly wandering around with no direction or purpose. In fact, without goals, we would probably just be wasting our time doing nothing at all!
KEY Takeaways
The same applies to organizations as well. Organizations also need to set goals and attempt to achieve them. This is so important because when an organization sets its goals, it helps create a vision for what it wants to accomplish within a certain period. This vision becomes the basis for everything that the organization does from there on out. It gives the organization a sense of direction and purpose.
Without goals, an organization could end up going down a path that it never intended to go down.
What are SMART Goals?
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound. These are the five essential components of any goal that you should include in your plan.
Let's take a look at each element:
Specific – Your goal needs to be specific enough to know precisely what you want to accomplish. For example, if you wanted to lose weight, you might say, "I want to lose 10 pounds by the end of next month."
Measurable – Your goal must be measurable. To ensure that you can measure whether or not you are achieving your goal, you need to come up with some way of measuring your progress toward reaching your goal. You may decide to weigh yourself every day, count calories, or use a scale to see how much you weigh. Whatever method you choose, you need to find something that works for you.
Attainable – Your goal needs to feel achievable. How likely is it that you will actually succeed in accomplishing your goal? Will you really be able to meet your goal? Or will you fail miserably before you even start? Make sure that you don't set yourself up for failure.
Relevant – Your goal needs to relate to what you care about. What is important to you? Is your goal related to your career? Are you trying to become more financially stable? Maybe you want to learn new skills. Whatever your reasons are, make sure that your goal relates to something that matters to you.
Time-Bound – Your goal needs to have a deadline associated with it. When do you want to complete your goal? If you don't have a date attached to your goal, you won't be motivated to complete it.
Once you have identified your goal, you need a plan for how you will achieve it.
SMART Goal Process for Setting & Achieving YOUR GOALs!
Step 1: Identify Your Goal
Identifying your goals is the first step in creating a personalized goal planner. Once you identify your goals, you can begin to think about ways to achieve them.
Step 2: Set Up Your Goal Into SMART Goals
Now that you have identified your goals, it is time to break those goals into smaller parts. Each part of your goal needs to be broken down into smaller steps. To do this, you need to determine what you want to accomplish and then break it down into small pieces.
For example, let's say that one of your goals was to improve your job performance. You would probably write down three things that you wanted to accomplish:
1) Improve my communication skills
2) Increase my ability to solve problems
3) Become more efficient
Now that you have created these three goals, you can turn them into SMART goals.
Step 3: Write Down Your SMART Goals
After you have determined the different parts of your goal, you need an easy way to remember them. This is where SMART goals come in handy. The acronym SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound.
Here are examples of SMART goals:
"My goal is to increase sales by 25% over last year."
"My goal is to reduce the defect level in welding from 5% to 2.5% by the end of this quarter."
"My goal is to lose 2.0 kg weight by the end of this month."
Step 4: Create Your Plan
You have already created your goal. Now it is time to create a plan for how you will get there. Here are some tips for writing a good goal planning document:
1) Break down your goals into smaller steps – It is easier to stay focused on a long-term goal when you break it down into smaller, manageable steps. For instance, if you want to read a book every day, you could start by reading one chapter a week.
2) Include deadlines – Make sure that your goal has a deadline associated with it.
3) Keep it simple – Writing a detailed goal planning document takes time. So keep it short and sweet. Try not to include too many details.
Step 5: Track Progress
It is crucial to track your progress as you go through your goal planning process. Tracking your progress helps you see whether or not you are making any headway. If you don't track your progress, you won't know if you are getting closer to your goal.
Tracking your progress also gives you something to look back at after you have completed your goal. This allows you to see if you are meeting your goals.
If you are having trouble tracking your progress, try using a spreadsheet or a notebook. These tools allow you to organize all of your information quickly.
Step 6: Reward Yourself
Once you have met your goal, reward yourself! Whether you give yourself a night out on the town or buy yourself a new pair of shoes, make sure to treat yourself to accomplishing a significant accomplishment.
Remember to set aside time each week to review your goals and update them if necessary. If you find that you aren't making much progress on your goals, take some time to reevaluate your plans. Maybe you need to change your approach.
Conclusion:
Setting goals can be challenging, but setting goals becomes a lot easier once you learn about the SMART method.