It's well past the mid year point ... how did that happen?
Have you lost sight of the goals you set at the beginning of the year? Didn't set any?
That's ok, it's never too late. With things heading towards normal in some parts of Australia (like here in Perth), maybe it's time to set some goals, or revisit the ones you have.
Whether you're reviewing what you have, or starting from scratch, the process is the same.
It can be a little bit mind-blowing when you start thinking about ALL THE THINGS you want to achieve ... but if you break them down and make sure they are S.M.A.R.T., it can really make the difference!
What is S.M.A.R.T. when we’re talking about goals or actions? Well, it’s a system to use when setting your goals to make sure you can actually track and achieve them, and it goes like this!
S - Specific - make sure it's crystal clear on what has to be done and make sure it contains a verb.
M - Measurable - it needs to be something you can measure. How will you know when it’s done? Is it trackable?
A - Achievable - set challenging yet achievable goals. Push yourself but don’t set yourself up for failure.
R - Realistic - make sure it’s realistic, no pie in the sky stuff. Break things down into smaller goals if you need to.
T - Timely - set a target date for completion.
An example of a S.M.A.R.T. goal could be:
“I will win three new clients for my consulting business within two months by asking for referrals, launching a social media marketing campaign, and networking with local businesses. This will allow me to grow my business and increase my revenue.”
You can outline your goal against each letter of S.M.A.R.T. until you get the hang of it, like this:
Specific
I will acquire three new clients for my consulting business
Measurable
I will measure my progress by how many new clients I bring on while maintaining my current client base
Achievable
I will ask current clients for referrals, launch a social media marketing campaign and network with local businesses
Realistic
I am trying to attain a realistic number (three) of clients within a realistic timeframe
Timely
I will have three new clients within two months
Once you've used this process a few times, you'll find that you don't need to write each one out separately. You'll get to the stage that you'll be able to go through the process in your head as you work on your goals.
But if you do feel like you need some help, grab my FREE S.M.A.R.T. Goals Worksheet in printable or online versions. It's specifically designed to help you break down each goal into separate actions.
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