Why You Need To Be SMART To Achieve Your Goals

Goal Setting The Smart Way

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” C. S. Lewis

Recently I just returned from my trip to America. It was the first time seeing my family in over two years.

We had such a good time, and it was long-overdue. Pretty much all I did was eat Mexican food and show my wife Ina all my old favorite spots in Colorado.

The highlight from my food adventures was eating a Mexican “Torta” from the restaurant “Las Tortugas,” that my cousin Christian took me to. After years of eating white rice with every meal, It was like a little slice of heaven.

Now that I am back in Korea I have a renewed vision for my ideas. It’s time for me to hunker down and get super focused to carry out what I have set forth for myself.

In order to reach my goals, I use a nifty little acronym that helps me stay on track.

“Stay far from timid, only make moves when your heart is in it, and live the phrase skies the limit” – Biggie

Smart Goals Definition

Your goals have a better chance of being achieved if they are SMART goals.

• Specific: This is incredibly important. It is like a laser the more focused the better. It is not enough to say I want to lose some weight or make more money. Have a precise target you are working towards. Let’s be specific on all levels. Answer the who, what, where, when, why of your goal. Do you want to lose weight to feel good emotionally, spiritually, physically? So that you can wear that beautiful dress that is tucked away in your closet? The more specific the better. Make it emotional.

  *Who: Who is involved?
  *What: What do I want to accomplish?
  *Where: Identify a location.
  *When: Establish a time frame.
  *Which: Identify requirements and constraints.
  *Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.
  
  

• Measurable: You need to set up concrete criteria to gauge your progress.  You can ask yourself question such as how much? How many? How will you know when it is accomplished? For example, instead of saying I want to be wealthy,” your goal can be stated as, “I want to be debt free and have $20,000 in my bank account in 24 months.”
• Attainable: Be careful to not aim too high, but don’t make it too easy either. What ever you feel as your limits try to push passed them. Let’s say I wanted to be conversationally fluent in German in 4 months, ehhh..for me this would be pretty unlikely. But with a specific plan, a lot of hard work, and 1-2 years time it could be perfectly attainable. When trying to figure out how to make your goals happen you need to consider the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity needed to reach them.
• Relevant: This is the time to dig deep within yourself. For me the best goals are ones full of meaning. At this point in my life, I only want to pursue goals that compliment what I consider my life’s work and purpose for being on this planet. Is your goal relevant towards your life purpose? Does your goal bring your closer or further away from your aim in life?
• Time-based: You need to come up with a deadline for yourself and stick to it. It should be long enough so that your goal is attainable, but not too short or too long that you will give up.

This little helpful acronym can serve as a filter for all your major decisions. It will help you identify if your actions are putting you one step closer or putting you further away from your dreams.

If your goals aren’t SMART they will most likely remain a pie in the sky. Best of luck to you all, I hope you all reach your dreams and enrich the world around you.

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