Achieve Goals in 2021 with “S.M.A.R.T. Goals”

Personal goals help us to map out our future. When we know what we want to accomplish, it’s easier to make a plan of action for reaching our goals. They also help with our self-development. If you’re unsure of what kind of goals to set for yourself, you can consider setting smart goals.

Motivation is the driving force that makes us want to achieve our goals in life. One of the tools that we can use to turn our motivations into action is by developing a SMART goal. SMART goals are effective because they help you think through the details of what you are going to do so that you can put them into practice.

SMART goals are defined as Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive plans of action. Here is an explanation of what each component of the SMART goal is, with an example, and you will have to write down the smart goals in a journal or worksheet this will help you develop your own SMART goal.

By creating S.M.A.R.T (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) goals, you can increase the chances of creating positive change and growth for your business. Here’s the breakdown:

Specific goals are ones that are clearly defined. When you can, add a specific number to your goal. For example, instead of saying you’d like more sales, make it specific by saying 10% more sales, and to acquire client retention and loyalty.

Measurable goals are quantifiable. When creating your goals, decide what tools or metrics you’ll use to determine if you’re meeting your goals. For example, if your goal is to increase your sales by 10%, you’ll need to refer to your revenue or profits and check back regularly to measure your success.

Attainable goals help ensure sure that you’re creating goals around things you can control. For example, you shouldn’t aim to create a viral social media post, since it’s not up to you if your post becomes popular. Instead, you could set a goal to post more consistently (i.e., three times per week) and engage with ten new accounts per day. These attainable activities bring you closer to creating more engagement and exposure for your brand.

Relevant goals keep you on track with what’s important. There are a million different directions you can take, and a new opportunity each day it seems. Work to prioritize which goals are the most relevant so that you can focus your energy where it matters most, and then stick to accomplishing it before taking on new commitments. This is why it’s so important to learn to say no!

Time-bound goals create a sense of urgency with a deadline, and so that you can break your goal down into milestones along the way. This way, you ensure that you’re achieving them within a meaningful timeframe, and you can track your progress along the way.

Extra questions to ask yourself when setting goals:

• Does this goal involve changing things about YOU (not changing other people)

• Does this goal involve changing things that are within your control?

• Will this goal make an immediate improvement in your life?

• Is there another goal you need to reach first before you can accomplish this goal?

• Why is this goal important to you?

• What would success in achieving this goal look like?

So many people get overwhelmed creating their plan for the year so this is going to be super helpful for you. But first, before you get worried because your plans always change like on January 2nd. When you implement smart goals, you are going to learn that plans can change but dreams don’t! We can’t give up on our dreams even though it’s been a crazy year.

Maybe you lost a job or income stream or something happened for you that you weren’t expecting. When you are using smart goals and reviewing your annual plan quarterly, you’ll be able to change your plan as needed but you never have to change your dream! More than anything, I truly believe that the right plan can allow you to make your dream life happen so that you can do what you love every day.