Are You Ready To Really Get SMART?

We are in our second week of January.  How many of you still are following the guidelines you set for you New Year’s Resolutions?  Everyone sets their resolutions…code name goals…with the greatest of intentions. Isn’t wanting a change enough to make it happen?  If you’re not 100 percent committed to your goal, the odds of staying motivated are not in your favor. Unfortunately the statistics don’t reflect that. Studies show that 53% of people making New Year’s resolutions were confident they would make them happen yet only 12% really did. Thirty-five percent of us who make New Year’s resolutions break them by the end of January. And only 23 percent of everyone who makes a resolution will see it through to completion.

Resolutions or goals or whatever you want to call them are something we are all familiar with and SMART goals even more so.  Even knowing what SMART goals are and also knowing that you have to WRITE THEM DOWN, so many of us do not stick to them.  Let me give you a brief overview of how they work:

Specific-State exactly what you want to achieve and break it down into bite sized pieces. A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal.  A goal should address the What, Why and How: What are you going to do? Why are you doing it? How will you do it?

Measurable– Establish clear definitions to help you measure if you are reaching your goal. To know if you have met your goal, you must be able to measure it with a number or milestone. It is important that you continually monitor your results to make sure you are moving toward your goal, and to readjust if you start drifting off course.

Achievable- A goal needs to stretch you so you feel you can do it by committing to it.  A goal which is set too far out of your reach will not be one you keep.  Your goal should challenge you without defeating you. Once you stretch a bit and reach your new goal, you can always re-adjust to a bigger one and build on your success.

Realistic- Give yourself the opportunity to succeed by setting goals you’ll actually be able to accomplish…anticipate any hiccups that might appear along the way. Set a goal that can realistically be achieved by you in your situation today.

Time Bound- You need a specific timeline to accomplish your goals. You must place a deadline on your goal. This creates a sense of urgency and requires that you become focused on the goal.

What are your SMART goals for this year?  One other secret to keeping your goals…share them with someone else.  Let them be the accountability partner that you need to stay on track.

Sharing is good.  I would love to help you stay focused and on target.

Happy Selling!