Get S.M.A.R.T!

Getting Smart

Are you SMART?  I guess we all think we are, but I’m really not talking about your intelligence. What I’m talking about is reaching your goals the SMART way and that usually takes change.  As the Greek philosopher Hippocrates said, “The only permanent thing is change”. Our ability to welcome or accept change is an important ingredient when it comes to achieving our goals, as well as our capacity to grow and learn.

As a Coach I find that although most people start off with sincere intentions, however very often those “sincere” or good intentions fall by the wayside. Why? There’s an old adage: “If you fail to plan, then you have planned to fail”.  Without a solid plan and strategic tools your goals will often fail to materialize.

One of the many tools that I use in my practice – and one that you might find useful in helping you achieve you goals is called S.M.A.R.T. I hope these S.M.A.R.T. tips help you achieve your goals.

Specific – Measurable- Achievable- Realistic – Time limited

Specific – Your goal should be clearly defined. Have a specific date to accomplish it by and know what action you will need to take.  An example would be the desire to be healthier. Is ‘healthier’ specific? Not really. A specific goal would be to join a health club and/or lose 12 lbs. When you are specific, your goal has a much better chance of being accomplished.

Measurable – Ask the question “How will I know when it is accomplished”?  The number of times you plan to visit the Health club or how many pounds you plan on losing are measurable goals.  Measuring your progress helps you to stay on track to reach your goal.  “Wow, “I lost 3 lbs this week” – “I’m right on target!”

Attainable – It is wonderful to set high goals, but be realistic about them.  Setting goals that are difficult to attain can be very disempowering.  Good example: “I will lose 12 lbs within 3 months”.  Bad Example: “I will lose 12 lbs by next week”.

Realistic – To be realistic, you must believe it can be accomplished, because you have done it before, or have the ability and tools, or you have someone who knows how to accomplish what you want to do.  Have you done anything similar in the past?  What components are needed to reach your goal?

Time limited – Without a time frame, your goal enters that nether land of ‘someday’.  Since you’re probably not Peter Pan setting a specific end date prompts your unconscious mind to ‘get to work’.

Now be SMART and put these S.M.A.R.T. tools to work for you.