Monday Motivator: How to Be SMART When Making Your 2009 Goals

We are well into 2009 and making SMART goals isn’t anything you haven’t heard before. So why bring it up again? Because we are creature of habit. We have to hear things numerous times before they sink in. Have you made your goals for 2009 yet? If not, don’t let another day in 2009 pass you by-your business depends on it!

Have you been wondering how you can be SMART when making your goals for 2009? Despite the fact that New Year’s resolutions are never reached each year than any other goal, we still look forward to opening that brand new calendar and imagining the possibilities that lie ahead for the New Year. If you plan on meeting the challenge of making a New Year’s resolution, you may as well ensure that you make SMART choices, right? Let’s start with SMART goals.

SMART is an acronym for several different stages of the goal setting process. If you’re planning to make a goal, it’s important to become familiar with what each letter stands for so that you can develop achievable resolutions. The following represents SMART goals, broken down into an easy to understand manner:

1. Specific. The first step to creating a SMART goal is to be Specific.
You can’t just say I want to earn a full time income with my scrapbook business. That’s a very general statement with no real meaning. Try saying I want to earn $1000/week. That’s more specific.
• Whatever your specific goal is, write it down and post it where you will be reminded everyday.

2. Measurable. The next step is to make sure that the goal is Measurable. When we set goals, it’s important that we’re able to measure levels of our achievement. By
measuring, we can keep track of our progress and feel more motivated to move toward our final goal.

• Make a chart or keep a journal to track your successes and achievements. Seeing a visual guide will help motivate you, especially during tough days.

3. Attainable. Set goals that you know you can achieve, or that are Attainable for you. If you set a goal of earning $1000/week, for example, this is not attainable for a short-term goal just starting out, and you’ll soon lose confidence. However, $100/week is
certainly an attainable goal. Of course, this number increases as your business and time in business increases.

• If you have a very large goal, such as earning a full-time income, break that large goal into much smaller goals or steps. Achieving a small goal every week will keep you determined to work harder and smarter.

4. Realistic. The next aspect to the SMART New Year’s resolution system is that your goal must also be Realistic. For example, setting a goal to obtain 10 new clients per week when you just started out is not particularly realistic. It’s possible, but not probable. Also, it’s not something you have any control over.

• For maximum success and continued motivation, choose goals that are something you can realistically expect to accomplish, even if you need to divide the final goal into smaller attainable steps.

5. Timely. The last aspect of the SMART system is Timely. When setting a your goals, you’re much more likely to succeed if there’s a time frame associated with the goal. You may give yourself a month, six months, or the whole year the choice is yours. The most important thing is that you take the time to set an end date.

• Once you set a final deadline, work backwards and determine the deadlines of your smaller goals. Pacing yourself throughout the year is more beneficial and less stressful than saving all the work for the last month before your final deadline.

Making goals for 2008 is very easy but those goals made without a clear plan in mind are prone to failure. It takes a little work to ensure that the goals you set are SMART. However, the SMART method can also ensure your success with an achievable plan! And that makes all the difference.

“Fail to plan, plan to fail…”