Set SMART Goals for success in life ~

A great friend and mentor of mine shared the following article...
~ Pay it forward ~ Share your goal setting tips here too :)

Effective Goal Setting:

“The successful person keeps their mind fixed on what he wants in life – not on what he doesn’t want”. Napoleon Hill – Think & Grow Rich.

The SMART system is a proven method for defining and developing goals. Use these guidelines to identify and write your goals….

S ~ Specific ~ Identify your precise why and what you are passionate about. It may be financial, spiritual, health, material, etc. For example, if your goal is financial, what exact amount do you want to earn, and most importantly, what it will provide. If your goal has to do with weight reduction, how much do you wish to take off and what size will you wear? If your goal is to buy a car--know the color, make, model, options and all the details of the exact car you want. Take time to visualize having achieved what you desire. How do you feel now that you have achieved your goal? Get emotionally involved with the result.

M ~ Measurable ~ Identify your marker. How will you know you are moving in the right direction? Your goal must be measurable. Saying “I want to be out of debt” definitely isn’t going to get you the results you want. Thinking about debt is is probably going to have the opposite effect, so refuse to give debt or lack any attention. Rather, saying, “I will earn £50K by December 1st 2010 is powerful. The result, of course, will be that you are out of debt as well.

A ~ Attainable ~ You must believe that you are able to achieve your goal. It may seem somewhat unrealistic to you now, but it shouldn't seem insurmountable.

R ~ Relevant ~ Your goal should be something you are passionate about, you should be emotionally involved with your goal. If you are married or have a partner, each person should have his or her own goals - ones that are personal to you that you desire to achieve

T ~ Timebound ~ Your goals should have an expected date of completion. This is usually an educated guess. Keep in mind that work expands to fill the time allowed for it!.

Once you have set your goals, spend time daily reflecting on them. Write them onto your goal cards and carry them with you everywhere. Identify which actions are necessary to take on a daily and weekly basis to achieve your goals. In addition, identify which actions you currently are taking that are NOT in alignment with achieving your goals (eg: TV). Follow through with consistent, focused action. When you have goals you are emotionally involved with and are passionate about, taking action will be easy.