Why are we motivated to achieving our goals, and how do we get there?
The Why is our purpose – the engine that propels us towards our dreams. The How is our direction – the map that guides us how to get there. With clear purpose and direction, every decision we encounter is made simple. We know where we are trying to go and we know why we want to get there. Everything else falls to the side and we move forward. We may not know exactly where we want to end up – And that’s okay! But with each decision we make, our purpose and direction become stronger and we are on the path to purposeful living. We can acheive the why and how by setting incremental and attainable SMART goals.
Create your SMART goals in 5 steps
SMART goals are goals that are SPECIFIC, MEASUREABLE, ATTAINABLE, REALISTIC, and TIME-BOUND. They’re like a text roadmap that makes it easy to pinpoint what you want and exactly when and how you plan to get it.
If creating SMART goals sounds like a lot of work, don’t worry. SMART goals don’t have to be long or complicated, and they don’t take a lot of time to write. In fact, you can download the worksheet to create your own SMART goals. Use it to answer the questions below. Complete the process for each SMART goal you set.
The first step in creating a SMART goal is to write a clear and specific statement of what you want. Think about what you want to accomplish, and use action-oriented verbs such as graduate, complete, pay off, earn, own, and specialize, that clearly define what you want.
Ensure you can answer these questions before you move on to the next step:
- Does someone else need to do something or provide something before you can accomplish this goal?
- Is this goal statement as detailed as you can make it?
Having a clear end result in mind is an excellent first step, but you need milestones—specific, measurable steps that will occur during the process—to stay on track.
Ensure you can answer these questions before you move on to the next step:
- Do your milestones mark a clear path from where you are today to where you want to be?
You may have to change certain aspects of your life to achieve your goal. You need to decide if the goal you've established has a reasonable chance of occurring—and if you’re willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve success.
Ensure you can answer these questions before you move on to the next step:
- Are you willing to change your behavior or your outlook on life to achieve your goal?
- Have you attempted other goals in the past that required a significant change in behavior and/or attitude? If so, did you achieve these goals?
- Do you have a support system—parents, friends, mentors, etc.—who will encourage you to achieve your goal?
- If you try to achieve your goal and fail, do you plan to try again?
- Are you willing to compromise on other things you may want in order to achieve this goal?
Now it’s time to decide if you created this goal for you—or for someone else.
Ensure you can answer these questions before you move on to the next step:
- Have you discussed your goal with other people?
- Have you changed your goal based on others’ input?
- Did you have this goal before you discussed your plans for the future with other people?
- Does this goal reflect your personal values?
- Is this goal consistent with your personal mission statement?
- Do you need to accomplish this goal to make your personal vision statement a reality?
This is the easiest step of all. Does your goal statement have an end date? If not, add it now by completing this statement:
- I will achieve my goal by:
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