And so it arrives that time of the year full of promises and good intentions. But, how to do it in a SMART way?
While I prefer my birthday`s time to take stocks and set a list of new resolutions, the start of the new year is the prime time for most to do so.
I thought doing it twice a year wouldn't be a bad thing as it allows me to see if those goals are in progress or already wholly forgotten in a dark corner of my mind.
I also end up learning on how to create goals that I feel good with, and which seemed achievable to me. And here it goes some of my impressions.
Neutrality - avoid negativity or positivity excess
Before you sit down to write down any goals, the first thing to do is to notice how you feel and deal with these new and old habits you want to change.
When we repeat the same goal, year after year, without ever reaching it, the first thing to do is to try to neutralize the pessimistic idea: "I'll never make it" or the overly optimistic perspective that: "Everything should have been easy and fast."
Assessing things from a more neutral point of view will be an excellent place to start. Examine all limitations and assess whether they are true to begin with. Reframing these beliefs can help find the solution or break down gaps to bring you closer to your goal.
Be SMART
Once you've eliminated the resistance to goal creation, it's time to dive into the details. Ideally, set SMART goals: specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and timely.
Choose three to five goals that you will focus on. If you set more than that, it can be easy to lose sight of them or get overwhelmed. If you're having trouble restricting them, ask yourself, "What's going to have the biggest impact?"
Here, many suggest focusing on the more ambitious goals. Still, I think it might be worth starting small because the energy and satisfaction of having achieved something will reenergize you to move on to the next step, even if it's more demanding.
Just keep the amount limited: your energy and attention will be more powerful if you narrow your focus.
Learn How to Fall
Leave some room for error and failure without considering it a drama.
Also, feel that it is okay to change your mind midway through. If it's for solid reasons, believe that "something" redirects you to better options. You never know when a good idea will come along, or an opportunity will arise that you never thought possible.
This may sound uncomfortable, but the idea is to know you're safe even if you make mistakes and if the initial goal doesn't materialize.
"The first thing you learn in Aikido is how to fall. The next thing is getting up. It's not enough to go down, you have to get back up. Nice and gracefully. Rinse and repeat."
If you learn how to fall, you don't get hurt. If you don't get hurt, you just get up, and go back to the "fight." So, learn how to "fall" injury-free, get up and go back to your resolutions.
Be open to possibilities, and remember that you don't need to have everything figured out.
The Time Question
Start by determining the amount of time you need to reach your goal, then break it down into smaller chunks of time to monitor your progress along the way.
Taking a moment to review your progress at regular intervals will ensure you stay on track or take steps to refine your plan as needed. For example, if you plan to meet a goal within a year, schedule check-ins quarterly. If it's within three months, maybe you'll check every two weeks.
YIfourring check-ins for yourself at regular intervals with calendar goals helps ensure you stay on track and correct yourself if yomy ideas.idears.idearsideardeardeasdeadedtray from the p Don't forget to celebrate small achievements and your progress to keep your motivation and your main goal in focus.
But, Why?
The next essential step to achieving any SMART goal is understanding why. Be clear about why you want to achieve the purpose you are setting out. What kind of impact will this have on your life? How will it affect you not attain it?
Your emotions are a critical part of this whole process, and understanding why you want something so severely will help keep you motivated to maintain your discipline.
It's important not to get discouraged if you go astray as you work toward your goal. Be flexible with yourself when events may not go as initially planned, or it may be necessary to streamline specific projects or short-term plans. Assess if you can adjust your goal or if you need to review your steps to define. If you struggle to stay on track, this is an excellent opportunity to reconnect with your "why."
Keep it Small. Keep it Consistent.
Once you're sure of the what, why, and how, the final step to goal achievement is consistency.
Taking small actions regularly increases over time, so it's better to consistently meet your goal (think: spend 20 minutes a day) rather than trying to do too much at once (like spending ten hours once a month .)
Practical Example
Your goal is to grow your online community. Being SMART means:
Specific: Increase followers on Instagram by 20% until the end of the year
Measurable: 20%, before the 2022 ends, checking it quarterly
Achievable: Spend twenty minutes per day interacting with people
Relevant: More audience helps catch up the primary goal of selling
Timely: Until the end of the year
If you want to increase engagement by 20% until the end of the year, then maybe that means you spend twenty minutes a day interacting with people in your community. While checking quarterly the progress. Reframe: You may check on different and better strategies to interact with your audience or maybe you want to adjust the time spent interacting. Rather than creating meaning around people who aren't interested, you can see it as an opportunity to hone your skills. That way, you can resonate with your desired audience. You can also use this as a chance to step out of your comfort zone and try creating different content, for example.
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And what about me, you may ask? I have an Excel grid that I update regularly, and even though I have a massive wish list, I'm focusing on five goals at a time. Currently, I have two in the personal and health area and one in the professional domain.
And you, on what are you focusing?
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