I've posted this recently on another forum but I thought it might be useful as a general reminder about setting goals, measuring your progress and achieving what you set out to achieve. All businesses (whether you're working full time or part time on your own business) need to set objectives for themselves or for the products or services they are launching / marketing. You should ask yourself what your business, product or service hopes to achieve. Setting objectives are important. It focuses you and your business on specific aims over a period of time and can motivate you and your staff to meet the objectives set. A simple acronym used to set objectives is called S.M.A.R.T. objectives. SMART stands for: 1. Specific – Objectives should specify what they want to achieve. 2. Measurable – You should be able to measure whether you are meeting the objectives or not. 3. Achievable - Are the objectives you set, achievable and attainable? 4. Realistic – Can you realistically achieve the objectives with the resources you have? 5. Time – When do you want to achieve the set objectives? I know this is info straight out of a sales management text book but it's worth bearing in mind. Hope this helps some of you in some small way. All the best, Steve.
Its good advice, I have learnt this in many Business lectures. It seems a standard that mos businesses try to follow or at least consider when choosing goals and there is no reason why we shouldn't as well.
I followed guidelines similar to these when setting my summer goals. I've achieved two already, I'm delaying one (because I was SO successful at the other goals and thought I'd have much more time than I wound up having!), and I'm on track to achieve the last two. They really work. Thanks for the reminder! Off to set my autumn goals now.
Haha, thanks, but I'm not really. I created a text document on my desktop to keep track of my "to do"s, and typed in my goals at the top of the doc so I'd have to see them every time I checked my to do list. Works like a charm.
I agree: What I constantly see, I do! Someone recently told me: "Either you are the Army General or the foot soldier. Decide what you want to be." It has simplyfied my life enormously and created space for IM
Thanks for the great post. I've recently noticed that I have habit of creating way to vague goals. An extreme example of a goal I could set was "Become healthy." Think I'll have to redo some of my already redone goals after reading the S.M.A.R.T list.
Great stuff! This is very similar to what Brian Tracy recommends in his programs and books (Maximum Achievement and The Psychology of Achievement being my favorites of his).
Thanks I've read the whole book about how to become SMART But knowing how to become SMART and taking action are completely two different things. Cheers
The topic is just simple but full of meaning. I just couldn't leave your website before saying that I really enjoyed the quality of information that you offer.
You're right about that, my friend. I remind myself (almost) every day to take action based on the activities I am doing. Someone once said "don't put off 'til tomorrow what you can do today". Wherever I can, I live by that mantra. Steve.