SMART it!

/entrepreneur’s best friend/

Want to make a change in your life and take what you’ve always dreamed of? Want to achieve more with the same effort? Want to tackle what you’re doing from all sides at the same time and be in control? Then set your goals SMART!

First - why set GOALS?

“Where we put our focus - our energy flows”.

Without channelizing our efforts in clearly defined objectives, all our doings will be constantly scattered and we miss to use our potensial. Things become chaotic, fall apart and in time we realize we don’t know where we’re going and why. That’s why it is essential to have goals and pursue them - they are our guiding principles, the purpose, which gives us the reason to wake up happy and motivated every day.

The SMART instrument

SMART method is maybe the easiest, most popular, useful and practical tool to set goals and achieve them with the least effort in the best way. It is used by all: from students, entrepreneurs to CEOs of big company and business owners. With its simplicity it makes 10 minutes of work save us hours of working time, but also do it in a clever, practical way. So what does SMART stand for?

• Specific: Well defined, clear, and unambiguous

• Measurable: With specific criteria that measure your progress toward the accomplishment of the goal

• Achievable: Attainable and not impossible to achieve

• Realistic: Within reach, realistic, and relevant to your life purpose

• Time-bounded: With a clearly defined timeline, including a starting date and a target date. The purpose is to create urgency.

S - SPECIFIC

Goals that are specific have a significantly greater chance of being accomplished. To make a goal specific, the five “W” questions must be considered:

1. Who: Who is involved in this goal?

2. What: What do I want to accomplish?

3. Where: Where is this goal to be achieved?

4. When: When do I want to achieve this goal?

5. Why: Why do I want to achieve this goal?

For example, a general goal would be “I want to be rich.” A more specific goal would be “I want to have a $.... income per month.”

M – Measurable

What metrics are you going to use to determine if you meet the goal? How are you going to measure your progress and in what units/ quantities?

A – Achievable

Think about how to accomplish the goal and if you have the tools/ skills/ resources needed. Is it completely realistic to attain this goal?

R - RELEVANT

Is the goal relevant to the current times/ environment/ audience? Is it something, which is really needed, or it is a pink fantasy, which lives only inside our heads or hearts?

So now that you know the procedure, say “YES” to your better future! Take a sheet of paper, pen and a quiet place to sit for a moment, right here and now (and YES, don’t postpone, WE SEE YOU!) and

...just SMART it!...