SMART Goals

It's late February - we are now seven weeks in to the new year and over 50% of people who made a resolution have already given up.  Why is it that setting a goal and sticking to it seems nearly impossible?  Whether you are one of the majority who has already given up or one of the few who is still holding strong, we want to provide you some strategies for how to set goals properly and stick to them.

Set SMART Goals

One system that is very effective for setting goals is called the SMART goals system.  SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time limited.  Your goals must first be specific so you know exactly where to aim.  Your goals should also be measurable so you can quantify with numbers if you have reached your goal.  You must next make sure that your goals are achievable.  It is important to set high goals to keep pushing yourself, but setting goals that are too high may be unrealistic.  The next key is to make sure you goals are relevant.  Your goals should always be set with your long term dreams in mind and should always be in alignment with your life’s purpose.  The final parameter your goals should follow is being time related.  Putting a timeline such as 1 month, 1 year, or 5 years  on your goals gives you a deadline to achieve your goal.  Overall using smart goals is an easy and effective strategy to set the right goals.

Staying Committed to Goals

One of the easiest ways to stay committed to goals is to write them down and make sure they are hung up somewhere easy to see.  This will keep both your conscious and subconscious mind constantly working towards your goals.  Writing down why you set these goals in the first place is also a good strategy to keep you motivated.

We hope you keep moving toward your dreams, whether they are health, family, financial, spiritual, or recreational!