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It doesn’t seem like too long ago we were toasting with bubblies in our living room and promising ourselves that 2021 will indeed be our year!
Yet with the champagne fizzles far behind us and our cocktail dresses hung back in our closets, those grand goals are pretty intimidating and may be causing us to panic. The lingering question of "Can we achieve our grandest vision?" keeps sliding up in our thoughts, just like those unwanted DM’s.
I’ll be transparent with you, the goals I’ve set for this year have been some of the scariest of my life, the envelope has really been pushed and there will be no settling in 2021.
Since I'm sure you set pretty impressive goals this year too, and we are part of the same community - that practically makes us virtual besties, right? So I’ll share the number one tool with you that has allowed me to break down my goals and achieve them.
I use the S.M.A.R.T. way! You can read more about it here: Corporate Finance Institute.
S.M.A.R.T. is a goal-setting system that provides clarification, direction, and motivation when tracking big goals. It allows us to break our goals down into bite-size pieces to focus on the task at hand as opposed to the overwhelming end goal. This tool was introduced to me by one of my mentors, and I like to call it the blueprint to success.
S.M.A.R.T. goals are:
Specific: Be very intentional - define your goals with as much detail as possible
Measurable: Define your goals KPI (Key Performance Indicators) - what is success?
Achievable: Make sure these goals are possible in your desired timeframe
Realistic: Within reach and relevant to your life purpose
Timely: Include a start date and target date; doing so will prompt urgency.
Example:
Specific: I want to write more frequently to improve my writing
Measurable: I am going to write four blog posts per month
Achievable: I can make it work and will add calendar reminders for each release
Realistic: If I stick to a 500/word post, I can accomplish four a month, 1/week
Timely: I will start at the beginning of each month and release a post every Thursday of each week.
To increase our chances of achieving those goals, we have to sit with ourselves and consider the 5 W’s:
Who: Else plays a vital role in this goal journey (a business partner, colleague, etc.)
What: Is being accomplished (this should make your heart skip a beat)
Where: Is this being achieved? (online, a specific location, etc.)
When: Do I want to achieve this goal? (don't be afraid to adjust this as needed)
Why: Do I want to achieve this goal? (why is this goal important)
This method allows us to take a general goal like “become a baller” to a much more specific, actionable S.M.A.R.T. goal, such as:
Specific: I will have a healthier relationship with my finances
Measurable: I will attend financial literacy workshops, take courses, and speak with financial leaders in my community to learn about effective strategies
Achievable: I will start with the basics of personal finance and work my way from there
Realistic: I will start by creating a budget that will allow me to have more control of my spending habits
Timely: I will map out the next 12 months of my financial freedom journey
Now you try. Take a second and use the above method to write out one of your S.M.A.R.T. goals.
Let’s keep it real! We all want to take the world by storm and obtain our desired level of success. Well, world domination is hard to realize without a clear plan. We all need a little organization to help us get to the finish line.
You CAN and WILL get there.
Keep those standards high and celebrate every single victory because the vision will come to life piece by piece. Soon enough, you’ll look back and smile at the one specific goal that led you to the grandest satisfaction, which is creating a life that you love.
Let’s keep the conversation going. What is one goal you’d like to share in the comment box?
Authored by: Hanna Salazar
Hanna is the founder of Advice from Hanna lifestyle brands that amplifies the voices of entrepreneurs. Her podcast The Advice From Hanna Show has reached over 14K listens and inspires humans to mutually empower community members to show up for their authentic selves. Podcast: Advice From Hanna The Podcast IG: @AdviceFromHanna