Success Tip #51 - Make Your Goals S.M.A.R.T.
by: Ike Krieger
Well, another Thanksgiving is under your belt. Are you ready to focus on the New Year? The clock on the wall says it’s time to come up with the ideas and plans that will help make next year even more successful than this one.
Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is the ideal time to explore all of your possibilities, make your choices and set your goals.
When you set your goals for the coming year make sure they’re S.M.A.R.T.
Here are the five ingredients of a S.M.A.R.T. goal.
S. = Specific, M. = Measurable, A. = Attainable, R. = Realistic and T. = Timely.
Are your goals specific enough?
If your goal is to expand your business next year, that’s a great goal, but it’s not very specific. A more specific version of your goal might be to expand your business by adding 60 clients in the 12 month period between January and December.
That’s a specific goal. But, is it measurable? Measurability is the second ingredient of S.M.A.R.T. goals. By what standard will you measure your success?
If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.
Your goal of 60 new clients in a 12 month period is certainly measurable. You can break it down in to monthly measurements, or you can use annual measurements. Measurement allows you to watch your success occur.
Your now measurable goal reads like this: I will expand my business by adding 60 new clients in the 12 month period between January and December, at a rate of 5 new clients per month.
Make your goals attainable.
Is your goal reachable using available systems and resources, or are you setting yourself up for a disappointment?
It’s hard to stay committed to goals that are too far out of reach. Here’s an example of a goal that may not be readily attainable, “I will get 60 new clients this month.”
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Success Tip #51 - Make Your Goals S.M.A.R.T.
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About The Author
Ike Krieger is a speaker, author and mentor. Ike provides tips, tools, ideas and resources that focus on boosting your sales, business networking and business building success. Ike will help you get in front of more of your ideal contacts, and then turn your contacts into contracts™...or clients... more easily and more often. - Subscribe to Ike's Success Tips mailing list at http://www.BusinessSuccessBuilder.com.
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