In the last blog post we discussed effective time management. This week’s blog post will seem similar however it’s different. We are going to dive into setting realistic goals. Dictionary.com defines goals as the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end. I define goals as my dreams with a deadline attached to it. Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound….SMART!
A realistic goals simply means a goal that just makes sense. The term realistic means something that is real, authentic, and not fake. The definition of realistic according to Merriam-Webster is “…accurately representing what is natural or real; able to see things as they really are and to deal with them in a practical way; based on what is real rather than what is wanted or hoped for…”
Knowing the definition of goals and realistic, we can simple state that realistic goals are things that you work towards accomplishing that are real, accurate, and natural; not what you’re hoping to accomplish.
Let’s walk through an example.
GOAL: My goal for the next 30 days is to go to the gym once a week for 30 – 45 minutes.
Is it Specific? Yes, because I’m stating exactly what I’m going to do which is go to the gym
Is it Measurable? Yes, because I’ll be able to measure my success by going to the gym once a week for 30 -45 mins. This can be tracked on weekly basis to ensure that I’m doing what I planned to do.
Is it Attainable? Yes, because I know that I can make it to the gym at least once a week.
Is it Realistic? Yes, because in the grand scheme of things, my schedule will allow me to squeeze in 30 -45 mins once a week.
Is it Time-bound? Yes, because I stated that for the next 30 days I will go to the gym once a week for 30 – 45 minutes.
How will I accomplish this goal? I will review my schedule on a weekly basis and determine which day I can put the gym on my schedule. I will create a log where I can track my progress weekly. At the end of the 30 days, I will review my log to see my progress and mark this task complete.
See, that wasn’t so hard to. I just wrote down a goal, ensured that it was a S.M.A.R.T. goal, created a plan to accomplish my goal, and created a method to track my progress until the goal is completed.
Now it’s your turn to set a realistic S.M.A.R.T. goal. Take a few minutes to go through the assessment above like I did. Comment below or email me at info@jovitanmiller.com as I would love to hear about how you did with setting realistic goals.
Every day we have a number of things we would like to get accomplished however without a detailed plan or road-map, it may be a little challenging and difficult to do. That’s why I have created Seven Daily Goal Setting Tips to help you continue to grow personally and professionally. Click HERE to access these seven daily tips.
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