The 5 Rules of Goal-Setting
The
year has ended and it’s time to start planning for next year. Having a target to reach becomes critical in
your ability to achieve more. Start
writing down your goals. There are
hundreds of studies that prove writing down goals make them that much more
attainable.
Entrepreneurs often set expectations
incredibly high and the goals they set are designed to match those lofty
expectations. But how do we entrepreneurs
know if the goals we’re setting for ourselves are realistic and even
attainable? The answer is, know the five
golden rules of goal-setting.
1.
Set goals that motivate you
2.
Set SMART goals.
3.
Write down your goals.
4.
Put a plan in action
5.
Work the plan.
1. Set goals that
motivate you
When you set a goal, it has to mean
something, and there has to be a value to achieving it. If the outcome is of
little to no importance to you, then the chances of your putting in the work
are next to none. Start with the goals
that are highest on your priority list. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by
everything that needs to be done, so start simple. Break down your goals into
your top three, or top five, overall goals, the ones with the highest sense of
urgency.
2. Set SMART
goals.
You have heard of these, but it’s
always useful to have a refresher. If you haven’t heard about this acronym,
here’s what it stands for:
·
Specific
·
Measurable
·
Achieveable
·
Realistic
·
Time bound
Specific. Your goals need to be as specific as possible, because otherwise they won’t give you enough
direction to follow through.
Measurable. Give yourself realistic deadlines to finish
the task at hand. Adding specific dates, amounts, etc., makes your progress
quantifiable. For example, instead of saying “Reduce expenses,” say something
like, “Reduce expenses by 10 percent in the next 12 months.” That gives you a
fixed amount, a time frame to complete your goal and visualize a finish line.
Achievable. Be honest with yourself. Set realistic and manageable goals. Decide
what you want to accomplish in a day, in a week, in a month, and in a
year. When you’re done, take a break! (see time-bound)
Realistic. Align your goals with the direction you want
your life and career to take. Balancing the alignment between long-term and
short-term will give you the focus you’ll need.
Time-bound. Having
a finish line will mean you’ll get to celebrate when you accomplish your goal.
Having set deadlines gives you a sense of urgency that is lacking when goals
are open ended.
3. Write down
your goals.
Start every day writing down a list of
"to-dos," as well as print out a calendar with my meetings for the
day. Keep these daily goals visible at all times and cross check the things you’ve
accomplished to gauge where you stand at the end of the day.
Your own long-term goals don’t have to
be spelled out quite as publicly, but you should keep them someplace where,
every so often, you are reminded of where you want to go.
4. Put a plan in
action.
It’s easy to get so focused on the
outcome that you forget the steps needed to achieve the outcome. You might go
from A through Z, giving little thought to B, C, D and everything in between.
So, write down all of the individual steps. This is your road map to executing
your plan as flawlessly as possible.
5. Work the plan.
Having a plan in place makes it
official. Working the plan makes you successful. If you take the time to draw
up a good plan, why not use it? It’s tempting to keep changing your mind or to
draw new plans when things go awry, but variables aren’t an excuse not to stick
to the plan. Trust your instincts.
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