As our lives become busier and we are stuck in the daily hustle, we often lose sight of what we want to achieve in life. We often find ourselves drifting aimlessly through life. Goal setting is a powerful tool to unlocking your potential and achieving your dreams. Properly setting goals is great for your personal growth. By setting personal or professional goals you make sure to set yourself up for success by providing direction and taking control of your life.
By creating structure around what you want to achieve you are also shaping your future in a positive and meaningful way. Not only that but goals help you stay motivated and accountable to follow through on your plans. Here’s a simple roadmap to help you set goals and stay committed to them.
Be SMART
This method is widely acknowledged as one of the best ways to set goals and achieve success. Your goals need to be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound)
Specific: Every goal you set should be specific, it should not be broad. Narrow down your goal as much as you can. This way you know exactly what you want to achieve.
Measurable: Your goal should have proper benchmarks identified, something you can measure. By doing so you can stay on track and know where and when to make adjustments if necessary.
Achievable: Any goal that you set needs to be attainable. Don’t set goals that are totally outside the realm of possibility. Start of with something you know is achievable and can be done.
Realistic: This is closely related to achievable. Is the goal you set realistic? Sometimes a goal may be achievable but would require doing something that realistically wouldn’t be possible. For instance, if you have a goal to complete a project in the next week but it would require you to work day and night for the entire week, this is not realistic.
Time-bound: Each goal you set should have a time frame attached to it. That way you set yourself up for success. Without a specific time limit your goal will just drag on. Clear timelines force you to take action and work towards attaining your goals.
How do setting SMART goals help you in your personal growth? Here are some reasons to adopt a SMART goal framework for your personal success
- A measurable and specific plan helps you track success and keep an eye on your progress
- You have a greater sense of control and know what needs to be done
- With SMART goals, you are accountable to yourself
- You stay motivated to achieve your SMART goal
