Set yourself up for success! 

In the modern world, where everyone strives for success, it is important to be able to set goals correctly and achieve them on time. After all, this is the only way to achieve sustainable growth. Sometimes people or organizations make big plans, but cannot implement them, although they spend a lot of effort and money on this. What is the reason? Let’s try to figure it out.

How to set goals so that they can be achieved?

There are various approaches to setting goals. One of the most effective is the SMART goals method. This method was developed in the United States in the middle of the 20th century and has not lost its relevance to this day.

Back in 1954, economist Peter Drucker in his book “The Practice of Management” emphasized the importance of setting goals correctly for effective company management. In 1965, American millionaire Paul Meyer first used the term “SMART” in his training program on motivation for success. And in 1981, strategic planning expert George T. Doran described this technology in detail in the article “There’s a SMART way to write management’s goals and objectives”.

The method includes five criteria that a correctly set goal must meet.

S — Specific.

Formulate the goal in such a way that it cannot be interpreted in two ways. You should avoid vague definitions, such as “improving productivity” or “personal development”. These formulations are bad because they do not contain specific instructions regarding the direction in which to move and what exactly is meant.

M — Measurable.

The goal must be measurable. This means that you must precisely define the result you want to achieve. For example, instead of “start earning more”, it is better to choose the formulation “increase income by 30 percent”. This will allow you to understand in the future whether the goal has been achieved and how much time is left until it is achieved.

A — Achievable.

It is good if the goal is ambitious and not too simple. But it is also very important that it is realistic. Try to assess your capabilities objectively, taking into account the amount of free time and available resources. It is very important that you initially believe in the feasibility of your plans.

R — Relevant.

It is important that the intended result is truly important and relevant to you. In addition, the goal should correspond to your values ​​and beliefs. If you set several goals at the same time, you need to make sure that they do not contradict each other.

T — Time-bound.

Set a deadline for the main goal and intermediate deadlines for each step along the way. The intended deadline motivates you to start implementing your plans faster. Otherwise, the process may drag on indefinitely.

Why is it so important to set goals correctly?

Developing and moving towards the top is an exciting and inspiring process. And a correctly set goal is an important step on this path. It can become a source of inspiration, motivate you to take action, both in your personal and professional life, and give you a sense of control.

But to implement your plans as quickly as possible, it is important to be persistent, believe in yourself, not be afraid of mistakes, and be open to experiments. One of the qualities that may be required for this is adaptability — the willingness to accept changes. And as to how to develop this quality in yourself, read our article “Accepting change: how does adaptability help you achieve success?”.