(excerpted from the Jim Rohn One-Year Success
Plan)
Jim Rohn's Second Pillar of
Success: Goal-Setting, Part Three - S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Hi, Jim Rohn here. As you know,
we are focused on the Second Pillar of Success this month -
Goal-Setting.
We have introduced the four main
components of Goal-Set
ting:
1. Evaluation and Reflection. The
only way we can reasonably decide what we want in the future and
how we will get there, is to first know where we are right now
and secondly, what our level of satisfaction is for where we are
in life. As we focus this month on goal-setting, our first order
of business and our topic two weeks ago was evaluation and
reflection.
2. Dreams and Goals. What are
your dreams and goals? Not related to the past or what you think
you can get, but what you want. Have you ever really sat down
and thought through your life values and decided what you really
want? This isn't something that someone else says you should
have or what culture tells us successful people do or have.
These are the dreams and goals that are born out of your own
heart and mind. These are the goals that are unique to you and
come from who you were created to be and gifted to become. Last
week we showed you exactly how to find out what you want from
life.
3. S.M.A.R.T. Goals. S.M.A.R.T.
means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and
Time-sensitive.
Specific: Don't be vague. Exactly
what do you want?
Measurable: Quantify your goal.
How will you know if you've achieved it or not?
Attainable: Be honest with
yourself about what you can reasonably accomplish at this point
in your life - along with taking into consideration your current
responsibilities.
Realistic: It's got to be
do-able, real and practical.
Time: Associate a timeframe with
each goal. When should you complete the goal?
We will spend time this week
looking at how to apply the S.M.A.R.T. test to your goals to
make sure they are as powerful as they can be!
4. Accountability. Think of the
word "accountable." It means to "give an account." When someone
knows what your goals are, they help hold you accountable.
Whether it is someone else going through this program with you
(have you thought about inviting a friend to join you on this
one-year journey?) or just someone you can give the basic idea
to, having a person who can hold you accountable will give you
another added boost to getting your goals! Next week we will
show you how to set up an accountability partner.
This week we will be discussing
point 3 - S.M.A.R.T. Goals.
S.M.A.R.T. means Specific,
Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive.
I really like this acronym
S.M.A.R.T., because we want to be smart when we set our goals.
We want to intelligently decide what our goals will be so that
we can actually accomplish them. We want to set the goals that
our heart conceives, that our mind believes and that our bodies
will carry out. Let's take a closer look at each of the
components of S.M.A.R.T. goals:
Specific: Goals are no place to
waffle. They are no place to be vague. Ambiguous goals produce
ambiguous results. Incomplete goals produce incomplete futures.
When we are specific, we harness
the power of our dreams and set forces into action that empower
us to achieve our goals. We then know exactly what it is we are
shooting for. There is no question. As we establish our
priorities and manage our time, we do so for a specific goal to
achieve the results we expect. There is no wondering or
guessing. The future is locked into our minds and we see it -
specifically - and that is powerful! Never underestimate just
how important it is to have very specific, concrete goals. They
act as magnets that draw you toward them! A S.M.A.R.T. goal is
specific.
Measurable: Always set goals that
are measurable. I would say "specifically measurable" to take
into account our principle of being specific as well. Our goals
should be such that we know when we are advancing and by how
much. Whether it is by hours, pounds, dollars or whatever, we
should be able to see exactly how we are measuring up as we
proceed through the journey of life using our goals. Could you
imagine if you didn't measure your goals? You would never know
which way you were going or even if you were going anywhere! A
S.M.A.R.T. goal is measurable.
Attainable: One of the
detrimental things that many people do - and they do it with
good intentions - is to set goals that are so high they are
unattainable. Yes, it is very important to set big goals that
cause your heart to soar with excitement, but it is also
imperative to make sure that they are attainable. In the next
section we talk about being realistic. So what does it mean to
be attainable? An attainable goal is one that is both realistic
but also attainable in a shorter period of time than what you
have to work with. Now when I say attainable, I don't mean easy.
Our goals should be set so they are just out of our reach; so
they will challenge us to grow as we reach forward to achieve
them. After the next paragraph, I will give you an example of a
goal that is both attainable and realistic. A S.M.A.R.T. goal is
attainable.
Realistic: The root word of
realistic is "real." A goal has to be something that we can
reasonably make "real" or a "reality" in our lives. There are
some goals that simply are not realistic. You have to be able to
say, even if it is a tremendously stretching goal, that yes,
indeed, it is entirely realistic -- that you could make it. You
may even have to say that it will take x, y, and z to do it, but
if those happen, then it can be done. This is in no way to say
it shouldn't be a big goal, but it must be realistic. This is to
a great degree, up to the individual. For one person a goal may
be realistic, but for another unrealistic. I would encourage you
to be very honest with yourself as you do your planning and
evaluation. Perhaps it would be good to get a friend to help you
(as long as that friend is by nature an optimist and not a
pessimist). This can go a long way toward helping you know what
is realistic. A S.M.A.R.T. goal is realistic.
Example of Attainable and
Realistic: Knowing that perhaps you could use a bit of help
differentiating attainable and realistic, here is an example:
You are overweight and have 150 pounds to lose to get to your
proper weight. Is that goal attainable? Yes, considering that
you also make it realistic. For example, it isn't realistic to
think you can do it in 5 months. 18-24 months would be realistic
(with hard work). Thus, losing 150 pounds in 2 years is both
attainable and realistic, while losing 150 pounds in 5 months is
neither attainable nor realistic.
Time: Every goal should have a
timeframe attached to it. I think that life itself is much more
productive for us as humans because there is a timeframe
connected to it. Could you imagine how much procrastination
there would be on earth if people never died? We would never get
"around to it." We could always put it off. One of the powerful
aspects of a great goal is that it has an end, a time in which
you are shooting to accomplish it. You start working on it
because you know there is an end. As time goes by you work
because you don't want to get behind. As it approaches, you work
diligently because you want to meet the deadline. You may even
have to break down a big goal into different measured parts time
frames. That is okay. Set smaller goals and work them out in
their own time. A S.M.A.R.T. goal has a timeline.
Be sure to spend some reflection
time this week to make sure your goals fit the S.M.A.R.T.
parameters. Go through the reflection questions below and the
action points associated with them. Doing so will put a real
engine in your goals and make them charged with power to help
you accomplish your dreams.
To enroll in the Jim Rohn
One-Year Success Plan and start Pillar One on January 2, 2004
and also take advantage of the Special Anniversary Offer go to
http://jr1.jimrohn.com/default.asp?kbid=3511
To
Your Success,
Jim Rohn
This
article was submitted by Jim Rohn, America's Foremost Business
Philosopher. To subscribe to the Free Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine go
to
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Copyright (c) Jim Rohn
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