A Goal Without a Plan is Just a Wish
Tonight at my daughter’s swim practice I saw a quote on one of the coach’s t-shirts that was just too good not to share!
Think about it - this quote is applicable to every aspect of life. Whether you are trying to grow your business, maintain balance in your day or trying to lose weight, you can not expect to attain your goals without some form of plan in place.
A common technique is to use the SMART system of goal setting:
Specific - Define your goals - the more specific, the better. A goal to grow your business is too ambiguous. A better goal would be something along the lines of achieving a certain income level each month, producing a specific product, or reaching a specific number of clients.
Measurable - Choose a goal that can be measured so that you can see you are making progress. Be careful that you are not falling victim to percieved productivity, however.
Attainable - Make sure your goals really are attainable in a reasonable amount of time. Success breeds success and it is much easier to gain momentum if you are taking your larger goals one small step at a time.
Realistic - Take time to really think about your goal and how plausible it really is. If your goal is not realistic you will end up being disappointed.
Trackable - Your goals will be easier to meet if you can tangibly track your progress. Keep a journal or post your acheivements where everyone can see them. It will make it easier to get to where you are going.
You don’t have to do it alone, either. Gather your support system, declare your intentions and go after your goals. Ed Mills of Evolving Times has a great post on the 6 Support Systems to Put into Place Before You Need Them.
Are you working on a goal, or just wishing something will happen?Â
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