You Can be Great If You Really Want To

Goal setting is equal parts art and science. Many people create goals that simply don’t work. If you’re in business, you don’t have the luxury of creating goals that don’t work. You need to work effectively and you need goals you help you do it.

Here is a great way to create good goals that work… that keep you on track. They’re called SMART goals and the acronym SMART will help you to remember the things that each goal needs to be:

*  Specific: Your goal needs to be stated in a way that is clearly defined. Saying, I should work more, is not a goal that will be kept. However, saying, I am going to work a total of 8 hours each day, is a goal that is much clearer and specific.

*  Measurable: This is closely related to the above attribute except that it also includes a way to make sure you are on track. A goal setting that says, I want to make more money, isn’t measurable. However, a goal that says, I want to earn $6000/month, is a far more measurable goal. It’s easy to see, at the end of the month, whether or not you achieved it.

*  Actionable: This means that your goal should be something that you need to do yourself in order to accomplish it. If you want to increase your income this year, it’s not realistic to say, I’m going to win the lottery this year, because you have no control over whether you will win the lottery or not. However you might say, I’m going to increase my sales efforts by cold calling 10 people each day, which is something you can take action on yourself.

*  Realistic: Goals that are actually achievable are much better and far more motivating. You’ll feel better about yourself when you do hit goals than if constantly shoot for them and fall short. Realistic goals should not be so easy that you hit them every single time but should not be so hard that you never reach them at all.

*  Time-oriented: Similar to the measurable attribute, your goal should have a timeframe for you to accomplish it in. Deadlines help people achieve their goals. If you anchor your goal to a time, you’ll be able to watch your progress.

You can remember this with the acronym, SMART, so that when you are goal setting, you can create better goals for yourself. This is a popular goal-setting acronym in business, although occasionally the words are changed slightly to reflect the needs of the business.

The ability to set and achieve goals is the master skill of life. Goals are your road-map to success and happiness. Without them, how can you ever expect to arrive at the destination you desire? Increase your power by setting goals and following the following 5 principles.

The first is that each goal must be important to you. Is it something you truly desire or someone else?s expectations for you? The desire must be burning within you, not someone else. Be absolutely honest with yourself in setting goals and decide what you want for your life in six key life areas: Spiritual, Mental, Relational, Physical, Financial, and Career.

The second principle is that goals should cause you to stretch outside your comfort zone. I have discovered four zones in which we live. When our power is at our lowest, we?re living in the ?drone zone? or the no-growth zone where instead of experiencing burn out, we rust out from inactivity. The next zone is comfort, where most live each day, instead of the necessary one day of rest. Living in the challenge zone keeps you on the edge, constantly striving for meaningful goals. In order to continuously increase your power, I suggest living here on a daily basis. Make sure you also practice meditation, eat properly and exercise, helping you live serenely while in the challenge zone. If you find yourself in the final panic zone, then you?ve reached too high and will become stressed due the unattainable nature of your goals.

 This brings us to principle number three. Your goals should be achievable in your own mind. I?m guilty in the past of making mine so heavenly that they didn?t do me any earthly good. On the other end, some are so simple they really won?t allow you to stretch into the challenge zone. In order to stay focused and inspired, there should be a sixty to eighty percent probability of successfully accomplishing your goal. Earning one million dollars or losing two pounds in the next sixty days are prime examples of the two extremes.

Is there a way to measure your goal? Achievement of your goal being verifiable is the basis of principle four. There should be some tangible way of measuring your goal. ?I will lose eight pounds and two inches off my wait in 3 months? is measurable. ?I will lose weight? is not. ?I will pay off my VISA card and put $600.00 into my savings account within 60 days? is measurable. ?I will make more money? is not. You get the idea. Measurable results in reasonable time will establish building blocks for each goal-building session.

Principle five is to make your goal enjoyable. Keep the fun meter in the red. The goal-setting process, the journey towards the goal, and the final achievement of the goal should be a lot of fun. Celebrate every accomplishment, big or small. Other suggestions to take into consideration are to write your goals at the beginning of each month and keep a copy with you at all times. Read the list when you wake up, throughout the day, and before bed. I also suggest you give one to a friend, mentor or coach that can help keep you accountable.

Increase your power today and begin a goal-setting session. The person you become along the way will be different than the person you are today. The last thing I?ll say about goal-setting may have a profound impact on your life: Individuals without goals will be condemned forever to work for those that do.

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Time waits for no man and at every second interval important life changing decisions have to be made. In the business world it’s worse because time wasted is money lost. But business will not always be about time management, goal must also be set and achieved in the given periods of time. Luckily enough the importance of goal setting & time management for affiliates has been noted and progress is dependent on proper implementation.

Setting goals is one of the first steps towards success in whatever you do. In most cases goals are set with immediate and long term needs in mind. Sitting down and writing down your goals in order of importance will definitely give you a confidence boost as well as motivating you to steer towards your wants and needs. And it’s just not as simple as setting goals. Pin your list to your walls t make sure that you’re constantly reminded of what you must achieve.

Goals should also be as realistic as possible. Building castles in the air is typical of most people, they try to achieve their goals in record times and with very high expectations. Instead, set goals that you know you can achieve. To help you do this you can set your goals with existing circumstances in mind because they are the ones that determine if you’re going to be successful enough.

The moment goals are set only one thing remains, working towards them. This is where time management becomes very crucial. Managing time properly means you do what you’re supposed to do in the time you’ve allocated for that. Planning out your day and having a diary of commitments ensures that time is managed efficiently. Without planning you might end up not doing important things because other ones came up.

Focus and concentration are important as well. Remaining dedicated to listed needs and wants puts you in the frame of mind of success. Focus is prompted by initial successes and ticking off already achieved goals. Other things that maintain focus are meditation and visualizing your success in great detail. Do what you’re supposed to do when you’re supposed to do them.

Last of all you should strive for perfection. Setting goals and managing time are both about doing the work required of you well. When you rush through work you are forced to return to the drawing board and redo the work. The obvious result is that goals remain unattained and time is lost. Do your work properly and that way you can move on to the next step on your list of goals and targets.

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