“Why do some people succeed and most don’t? Simple… “True Expectations”. What we TRULY expect to happen in our lives… not want… does.” Doug Firebaugh
We have so far looked at our dreams and why we want them. Now lets look at the goal setting process:
Goals need to be: S.M.A.R.T. which means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive.
In my book, I talk a lot about SMART goals. We want to intelligently decide what our goals will be so that we can actually accomplish them. We want to set the goals that our heart conceives, our minds believe and that our bodies will carry out. Let’s take a closer look at each of the components of S.M.A.R.T. goals:
Specific: Goals are no place to generalize or to be vague. Ambiguous goals produce ambiguous results. Half hearted goals produce incomplete futures. Saying I will be a “better” mother is very difficult. What does better really mean?
Measurable: Always set goals that are measurable. I would say “specifically measurable” to take into account our principle of being specific as well. How do I measure “better”?
Attainable: Set goals that are sensible, achievable. There is no point in me saying my goal is to be the Queen of England or a world class ballet dancer! I don’t have the right heritage! One of the detrimental things that many people do – and they do it with good intentions – is to set goals to impress others. Your goal must impress you and be possible for you.
Realistic: The root word of realistic is “real.” A goal has to be something that we can reasonably make “real” or a “reality” in our lives. There are some goals that simply are not realistic. If you weigh 100 kilos and decide to go on a diet, don’t set your goal to loose 20kilos in a week. Not unless you plan to cut off a leg! You have to be able to say, even if it is a tremendously stretching goal, that yes, indeed, it is entirely realistic — that you could make it. You may even have to say that it will take x, y, and z to do it, but if those happen, then it can be done. This is in no way to say it shouldn’t be a big goal, but it must be realistic.
Time: One of the powerful aspects of a great goal is that it has an end, a time frame attached to it. As time goes by you work on it because you don’t want to get behind. As it approaches, you work diligently because you want to meet the deadline. Bigger goals may have to be broken into different parts of measurement and time frames. That is okay. Set smaller goals and work them out in their own time.
Be accountable to yourself and a coach. When someone important to you knows what your goals are, they will be asking you to “give an account” of how you are going in the process of achieving that goal. Accountability puts some character into the process. It means that I learn to live as my word. It means that I prioritize my goals into my life and do something each day towards making them become a reality. When you have done the above SMART goal setting process, begin on the journey with an expectation that you will achieve what you have set out to do.
So: 1) Decide What You Really Want to Achieve in Your Life; 2) Evaluate/Reflect; 3) Be S.M.A.R.T.; 4) Have Accountability. 5) Expectation.
When you put these 5 key components together, you are putting yourself in a position of power that will catapult you toward achieving your goals.
Your Wealthcoach,
Yvonne
