What are SMART goals?
If you have a home business, it is important to be extremely focused and you need to have clear goals. Using SMART Goals is a great way to make sure your goals are positive for your business, helping you, not getting in the way.
SMART goals are defined by a specific set of criteria that are applied to your goals. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time Bound.
So what makes goals SMART goals?
Specific: The objectives must be specific. Often our goals are a bit vague, it is almost impossible to measure if we reach them or not. For example, a statement like “I will save money” is not specific enough. How will you know if and when you have reached your goal? Saying “I will save at least 10% of my income” is more specific. You know exactly what your goal is and what you need to do to achieve it.
Measurable: You must be able to measure your results. For example, you may want to get more leads or prospects for your business. But, “generate more leads” is an ambiguous statement. A measurable goal is “I will be generating 5-10 leads per day for the next month.” It is an easy goal to measure.
Achievable: You need to be able to achieve your goal. It’s okay to aim high, but if your goal is to make $10,000 a day in your first week in network marketing, that’s not realistic. Make it yours: “I want to make $3,000 a month in my business in 6 months,” or whatever your numbers are, but don’t make it so hard that you have no chance of achieving it.
Realistic: Are your goals realistic? When we are children we think we can do anything. As adults we learn that while we can have a lot, we cannot have it all at once. It is important that you evaluate yourself honestly. Do you have the ability and commitment to make your dream come true? Or do you need a little adjustment? For example, you may want to be a professional tennis player, but do you have the drive and commitment to make it happen? Do you want to be the next Roger Federer? Be honest with yourself.
Time Limit: Goals should have a set time frame. Having a deadline will give structure to your goals. For example, many of us want to find a new job or start our own business. Some people spend a lot of time talking about what they want to do one day. But, without an end date, there is no sense of urgency, no reason to take any action today. Having a specific time frame gives you the momentum to get started. It also helps you monitor your progress.
So the next time you decide to set some goals, make sure they’re SMART Goals. Make sure the goal is something positive, not something that will simply lead to failure.
is your goal INTELLIGENT? Use this checklist to see if you meet:
- Specific – You know exactly what the goal is.
- Measurable – You are able to measure how much progress you have made towards the final goal.
- Realizable – The objective takes into account your particular situation at that moment.
- Realistic – The goal reflects your skills, resources and ability to achieve a specific result.
- timed – There is a defined time frame against which progress towards the goal can be tracked.
Using SMART Goals will become second nature whenever you’re making plans for your business!