The most successful people that I have seen don’t just set proper SMARTER Goals, they are able to focus on them constantly and consistently. No matter how great your goals, they are useless unless they are front and center all the time. Here are give ways to make sure you meet your goals by keeping your eye on them.
- Follow the SMARTER Goal Model. Click here for more details on creating SMARTER goals
- S – Specific
- M – Measureable
- A – Achievable
- R – Relevant
- T – Time-Based
- E – Ethical
- R – Re-evaluate
- Hold Yourself Accountable: Work with a group, your company, superiors or peers, in order to help you stick to them. It is easy to fall by the wayside with life’s interruptions. For my team and organizations, I meet with them on a weekly basis to go over their goals, their progress, what resources they need, and what is holding them back. This constant feedback helps us understand how we can stay motivated and set us up for success to reach them. Also stick with your time-based dates you set in the goal-making process so you can backwards plan. Setting these timelines will help you be focused on what you need to do today to make the goal reality in the future. A hard date also helps you re-eavalute what needs to be done if you are off track.
- Use a To Do System: With more and more work piling up, it is important to stay organized and have a system to constantly remind ourselves of what needs to get done. I have a desktop and mobile app I use in conjunction with my calendar to remind myself of my tasks. It is important to prioritize your tasks as well, especially if you have quite a few tasks.
- Proper Rest and Relaxation: Instead of managing your time, it is better to manage your energy. If you give yourself ample rest, nutrition, and exercise, it will give you the energy to move forward. Research shows that working in high-energy sprints is more effective than low-energy marathons. Take breaks to reset, clear your mind, and refocus.
- Reward yourself! Incentives are good ways to be motivated to meeting your goals, especially when you hit speed bumps. Something simple as a nice meal, the upgrade on a new phone, or something you longed for can go a long way. Just make sure that you budget for these items and it doesn’t create problems elsewhere. Sometimes meeting goals doesn’t provide a tangible result, so a relevant reward provides a great boost!
It is easy to set goals, but difficult to meet them. Use these tips to help you reach them!