The Do’s & Don’ts of SMART Goal Setting for 2012

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I’ve talked about SMART goal setting in the past, but since it’s the best goal setting guideline that I know of I’m going to revisit the topic.   Remember, SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.

Specific goals are those that are clear and concise. Measurable goals are specific enough to allow you to measure and manage your progress. Attainable and Realistic goals mean that attaining these goals will be within your skill-set and your ability to achieve them.  Finally, timely goals are those that have a start date and a date of completion. So instead of a vague “I want more money” goal, a SMART goal would be something like “I want to make $5K per month from my home business by the summer of 2012.” See the difference? Here are some additional Dos & Don’ts when it comes to SMART goal setting:

SMART Goal Setting DOs:

• DO create a plan once you set your goals. It’s not enough to simply set your goals, you need to devise a plan to get there.
• DO work backwards. Set your goals and then break them down into smaller chunks. Some of these “chunks” will be smaller goals, while others will be action steps (or tasks) that can be added to your To-Do list.
• DO include action steps and timelines in your plan. The action steps you need to take to reach your goal will help you understand everything that needs to happen before you can complete your goal. Setting completion dates for your goals will allow you to create a timeline for your action steps, so you can stay on task daily.

SMART Goal Setting DON’Ts:

• DON’T pick a goal that’s unattainable. Setting goals that are unattainable and unrealistic is simply setting yourself up for failure. So, if you’re currently earning $500 per month from your home business, don’t set a goal of earning $100K by next month… that’s probably unattainable at this point.
• DON’T pick a goal that you’re only lukewarm about. Your goals should excite you, they should push you outside of your comfort zone, while challenging you all at the same time.
• DON’T be vague about your goal timing. Setting a specific date of completion will help drive your motivation.
• DON’T give yourself insufficient time to reach the goal. You need to pick a start date and an end date, then outline each of the steps you need to accomplish to attain that goal. If you find that the tasks you need to complete your goal will take more time than you originally projected, simply adjust your end date.
• DON’T fail to take consistent action each day. If you do a few tasks every day (or at the very least, every week) then you will begin to create a compounding effect of your efforts. Over time, those small daily steps will have a huge impact! So do not feel compelled to go after your goals in an all-time-consuming way because it will result in burn out.
• DON’T pick something you really have no control over. The goals you set must be within your ability to actually attain them, so be realistic.

There you have it – a straightforward guideline for SMART goal setting for 2012! Don’t forget to create a time management plan as well, so that you can be productive each day and make consistent  progress. Over the next couple of days, I’m going to share some motivational strategies and methods to help you kick your bad habits, so you can attain ALL of you 2012 goals, so be sure to keep a lookout for that.

To Your Success and Prosperity,

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