Why is it Important to Set a Goal?

Much of our lives begins with a dream. A dream to have a more financially free life, a dream to be able to spend time how you’d prefer and not how you have to, a dream to own your own business or become a master at a skill you love. The limiting factor behind a dream is yourself. Do you believe enough in yourself to pursue it and have the grit necessary to continue pushing for it? Do you have a goal with a map to get you there? Often times, it’s the lack of a concrete goal with an action plan to get there that holds people up.

A goal should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time sensitive – it’s a SMART goal! Let’s dive into how to set and achieve a goal the smart way so you an dominate your goal and reach your dream!

Steps to Setting a Goal

1. Specific – What do you want to achieve? Get really specific by not setting an open-ended goal.

2. Measurable – Break your goal down into daily, weekly or monthly steps.

3. Achievable – Is your goal one that’s realistic and achievable? You’ll determine a time-frame in step 5 and that will help tremendously with setting yourself up for success.

4. Relevant – Your goal needs to fit a need in your needs because adding something new to your plate when already pulled thin won’t serve you well. If you’re at capacity with your time, maybe adding the goal of a new hobby into your life isn’t well timed.

5. Time Sensitive – When are you going to achieve this goal? Set a timeline for your goal to be completed so you can have that finish line to work towards.

What Does a SMART Goal Look Like?

Goal – I want to increase my sales this year.

SMART Goal – I want to double my current monthly sales goal this year by reaching $2,000 in sales each month by the end of the first quarter. In order to hit my goal, I will need to sell 5 additional items each week (20 in a month), which I will do by adding two additional income producing activities each week, as well as being more active in my community group.

Goal – I want to lose weight

SMART Goal – I want to lose 50 pounds by the end of four months. I will need to average slightly more than 3 pounds in a single week in order to achieve this goal. I will accomplish this by meal planning, limiting my snacking to fresh vegetables, walking during my two breaks at work. I’ve enrolled in Zumba classes and will attend 5 days a week.

What’s Your Goal?

Comment below with your goal because I can’t wait to hear what you decide to work on this year!! It might be the beginning of a new year right now but goals aren’t limited to starting only then. You can be successful regardless of when you set your goal if you are mindful of exactly what it’ll take to accomplish it. Make it specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-sensitive, and you’re sure to be successful! If you don’t reach your goal before the end of your time-frame, reevaluate to see where you went wrong or what could have been done differently, and set a new goal with that information!

If you enjoyed this post, take a look at my 8 Must Have New Year’s Goals and see if any of those ideas speak to you!