Goals are great! They’re a big part of the work I do with my clients. Yet with everyone and their mother setting goals, did you know that only 8% of people actually achieve them?? That’s not only crazy, but it’s sad.
The #1 reason for failure is due to setting unrealistic goals for ourselves. As Americans, we tend to ‘go big or go home.’ But when we set an unachievable goal in our sights, not only does it make changes feel overwhelming, it also allows us to miss and have the opportunity to celebrate the small wins that move us toward the bigger goal.
So what’s the answer? SMART goals, y’all!
Your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based.
That’s the secret to reaching goal-crushing status, and giving yourself the much-deserved pat-on-the-back along the way.
Creating SMART Goals
Instead of making drastic goals that likely set you up for failure, assess what you can actually achieve in a specific amount of time. Set your main goal, then create 3-5 SMART goals around how you’re going to rock it. Consider these stepping stones to getting to your end result.
Example: “I want to clean-out and organize my house.”
That’s the overarching goal. SMART goals would look like this:
- By Feb 25th, I will clean out the office, spare room closet and kids’ play room
- By Mar 31st, I will clean out the garage and shed
- By Apr 28th, I’ll tackle my bedroom and linen closets
- By May 31st, I will have the attic cleaned out
- Before July 4th, I’ll reorganize the office, bedroom closet and kids’ playroom
- You get the point
Break the big goal down into smaller, more realistic chunks. You could even break down my example further, giving yourself two weeks to tackle one item. It all depends on how detailed and specific you want to get. Do what works for your comfort level.
Plan Your Work (then work that plan)
Meetings and appointments make it in our calendar, but have you ever scheduled your goals?
Exercise to meditation, time with kids to building a business. If it’s a goal it should be on your calendar. Use 1-hour time blocks to break down your SMART goal activities into achievable and non-negotiable power hours. Use color coding to make it visually distinctive.
Most importantly…remember to be flexible! If something comes up, you can easily reprioritize and move your goal block to another day.
Celebrate Your Wins
When focused on the end result, we often forget to enjoy and celebrate the journey. Every step towards your goal is an achievement!
Research shows that celebrating the small win actually has more power than the victory of the big win. When your goal is SMART, it’s not immediate. So take time to celebrate each step along the way to motivate and propel you towards the big win.
It can be a glass of wine or a big night out. It can be a little victory dance in your office or buying yourself a small gift. Whatever you do, do it with a big fat smile on your face for having goals and working towards them.
When to Ask For Help
Let’s face it…we all kinda suck at asking for help. But by trying to tackle it all ourselves, we’re doing two disservices:
- We’re pushing ourselves into burnout by trying to be it all, do it all and own it all, and
- We’re robbing someone else of the joy they receive by helping us
If you’re struggling with goal setting, planning or conquering, schedule your free 15-minute consult. We will talk through your biggest challenges and put together your best next steps.
“It’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help. It’s a sign of wisdom.” – Craig Groeschel
