S.M.A.R.T. Goals Turning Your Dreams Into Reality scottkwilson.com
WHY GOAL SETTING IS BETTER THAN A RESOLUTION
are the teeny, tiny exception, not the rule. However, while New Year’s resolutions don’t work, goals do. Surprised? The research is conclusive. Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at Dominican University in California, did a study on goals with 267 participants. She found that we are 42 percent more likely to achieve our goals by simply writing them down.
Have you ever made a New Year’s Resolution? You know, one of those big, bold, and bodacious plans to get rich or develop rock-‐ hard abs or grow thick, glorious hair (OK, maybe that’s just mine). Or maybe they weren’t huge. Maybe you just wanted to lose a little weight or get better at your job or grow your book of business. But the truth is, the way we make New Year’s resolutions doesn’t work. Get this: • • •
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25 percent of people abandon their New Year’s resolutions after one week. 60 percent of people abandon them within six months. The average person makes the same New Year’s resolution ten separate times without success. Only 5 percent of those who lose weight on a diet keep it off; 95% regain it. (Studies show a signiTicant percentage gain back more than they originally lost) Even after a heart attack, only about 14 percent of patients make any lasting changes around eating or exercise.
I think it’s safe to say that this approach hasn’t helped many people. Yes, there are a few who crumpled up that half-‐smoked pack of cigarettes and never looked back; these people http://scottkwilson.com
Of course, most people don’t bother to write down their goals. Sure, many will tell you that they have goals but what they really have are wishes. Dreamy things they wish were real but that don’t include any sort of plan or commitment to making them happen. Instead, they drift through life aimlessly, wondering why their life lacks purpose and signiTicance. I am not saying that committing your goals to writing is the endgame. It’s not. But it is the beginning.
The secret to accomplishing what matters most to you is committing your goals to writing. This is important for at least Tive reasons.
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distractions that pull you off course. The only antidote I know of is to maintain a list of written goals by which to evaluate these new opportunities. With each opportunity that comes along, ask yourself: “Will this help me get closer to achieving my goals?” If the answer is yes, explore it further. If the answer is no, politely decline and move on.
5 Reasons Why Writing Down Goals Is Better Than Making Resolutions 1. Because it will force you to clarify what you want. Imagine setting out on a trip with no particular destination in mind. How do you pack? What roads do you take? How do you know when you have arrived? Instead of just walking out the door and wandering around, you start a trip by picking a destination. The same is true with the milestones in your life. Writing down your goals forces you to select something speciTic and decide what you want. 2. Because it will motivate you to take action. Writing your goals down is only the beginning. Articulating your intention is important, but intention alone is not enough. You must execute your goals. You have to take action. I have found that writing down my goals and reviewing them regularly provokes me to take the next most important step.
4. Because it will help you overcome resistance. Every meaningful intention, dream, or goal encounters resistance. From the moment you set a goal, you will begin to feel it. But if you focus on the resistance, it will only get stronger. The way to overcome this is to focus on the goal—the thing you want. 5. Because it will enable you to see—and celebrate—your progress. Life is hard. It is particularly difTicult when you aren’t seeing progress. You feel like you are working yourself to death, going nowhere. Written goals are like mile-‐markers on a highway. They enable you to see how far you have come and how far you need to go. They also provide an opportunity for celebration when you attain them.
3. Because it will provide a Ailter for other opportunities. The more successful you become, the more you will be deluged with opportunities. In fact, these new opportunities can quickly become
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So, you know that the goals you choose are important, because they will be the roadmap to bridge the gap between where you are now (your current reality) and where you want to go (your future vision). You also know that you need to write them down. But how do you put it all into place? How do you construct goals that are useful, practical, and effective? You make S.M.A.R.T. Goals.
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WHAT: What exact goal do you want to accomplish? Be very speciTic. Rather than "lose weight" or "get Tit," deTine those terms: "I will lose 25 pounds," or "I will be able to run a 5K."
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WHEN: When will you start and when will you reach your goal?
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HOW: How will you make this happen? These are the action steps to get you toward your goal. If you want to lose 25 pounds in 6 months, your "how's" might look something like: I will eat between 1,500 and 1,800 calories each day; I will exercise for 30 minutes 5 days per week; I will track my food and calories burned each day; and I will pack my lunch at least 3 days of the week.
Make Your Goals MEASURABLE
S.M.A.R.T. GOALS (Speci%ic,
Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely) Make Your Goals SPECIFIC Ambiguous or undeTined goals aren't going to point you in the direction you need to succeed. You want to give yourself a concrete goal so you know exactly what you're working toward. You know your goal is speciTic if it answers these questions: • WHO: Who will be involved in helping you reach your goal (including yourself)?
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Now that you have some of the speciTics of your goal nailed down, it's time to look at how you will gauge your progress. After all, if you don't have any way to measure your goal, how will you know when you've reached it? Your goal is measurable if you can Tind a way to quantify your success using real numbers. Some examples of measurable goals might be pounds lost, a positive change in blood work numbers, or Titness minutes accumulated.
Copyright © 2015 Scott K. Wilson
meaningful and relevant to you and you'll set yourself up for success. To determine if your goal is relevant, ask yourself why you want to achieve it. So you can feel more conTident? Be a better example to your kids? Or live a longer, healthier life? These whys are important because they will serve as your motivation throughout the process. Make Your Goals TIMELY
Make Your Goals ATTAINABLE It's good to think big, but it's also important that you don't set a goal that is too big. A goal that's attainable for you is one that you believe you can reach and have the means necessary in order to achieve. So if you plan to work out with a personal trainer but don't have the discretionary dollars in your budget to pay for one, that goal wouldn’t be attainable for you. To determine whether your goal is attainable, ask yourself honestly if you believe you can achieve it and have all the resources (including time) available to make it happen. Do you have (or will you be able to obtain) all the support, equipment, knowledge and resources needed to put your goals into action? Does this goal fall in line with your other priorities in life? If not, how can you revise your goal to make it more realistic? Make Your Goals RELEVANT You need to make sure that you're choosing a goal that Tits you and your lifestyle. Don't choose a goal out of guilt, or just because someone else thinks it's something you "should" do. Pick something that is
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If you don't put a deadline on your goal, it will be difTicult to know how to pace yourself to reach it. Every goal should have an end date, which will help you stay on track. In addition, set up a few benchmarks, or mini-‐ deadlines, to keep you on track. These help you to reach your big picture goal and keep yourself accountable.
The S.M.A.R.T. Goal Matrix I’ve given you a ton of information in these last few pages but don’t worry. This process is actually easier than it sounds. If you’re struggling a bit, use the matrix on the next page to help guide you through creating your goals. After you use it a few times it will become automatic.
Copyright © 2015 Scott K. Wilson
Write Original Goal Here
Can my goal be more specific? If no, rewrite goal here.
Specific Is my goal quantifiable while in progress? Can I know if I’m achieving it? If no, rewrite goal here.
Measurable Can I achieve this goal with the resources I have available? If no, rewrite goal here.
Achievable Is this a realistic goal based on my current skills? Is it something I can do but not too easily? If no, rewrite goal here.
Realistic
Is there a set time period to complete this goal? If no, rewrite goal here.
Timely
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Copyright © 2015 Scott K. Wilson
Scott Wilson is the Director of Communications and Technology for The Urban Child Institute, a not-‐for-‐proTit dedicated to improving the development and well-‐being of children. He is also a marketing and business strategy consultant for small businesses and writes regularly about Leadership, Communication and Marketing on his blog at scottkwilson.com. Scott also speaks frequently to groups large and small. He has delivered keynotes, participated in panel discussions, and conducted workshops on a number of topics. Visit the website at scottkwilson.com for more information on how to work with Scott. Formerly the Director of Data, Scott was responsible for the publication of the annual “State Of The Children In Memphis And Shelby County” as well as overseeing the collection, organization and storage of data for the Institute. As the Director of Communications and Technology, he develops and implements The Institute’s communications strategy as well as overseeing all materials and public relations. Additionally, his department deploys and maintains the website and technology utilized by The Institute. Prior to joining The Institute, he owned and operated several businesses and spent more than 13 years in management and leadership positions at FedEx. Married with three children, Scott was born and raised in Memphis and has lived and worked in several cities around the Southeast before returning home for good. Please don’t hesitate to contact Scott via email at
[email protected] or call 901-‐468-‐3001 if you have any questions or there is anything he can help you with.