S.M.A.R.T. Goals. Turning Your Dreams Into Reality scottkwilson.com WHY GOAL SETTING IS BETTER THAN A RESOLUTION

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, ...
Author: Gwenda Hines
2 downloads 2 Views 9MB Size
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: • • •





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.

Copyright © 2015 Scott K. Wilson

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  

http://scottkwilson.com

Copyright © 2015 Scott K. Wilson

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.



 

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."



WHEN:  When  will  you  start  and  when  will   you  reach  your  goal?



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)?

http://scottkwilson.com

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  

http://scottkwilson.com

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

http://scottkwilson.com

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.