More about Setting Goals

Last week I started taking a closer look at why and how to set some goals. Why set goals? It’s just smart to set some. So, how do you go about setting goals? It’s simple. It's all about being SMART.

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

We have talked about being specific, measurable, and attainable. Now we will look at the final two: realistic and timely.

Realistic: This does not mean that you don’t challenge yourself to set bigger goals. But it does mean that the goals are in fact “do-able” and workable. If you do not have the tools to accomplish a goal, then it is not likely a realistic goal.

For example: An unrealistic goal might be “I want to build my own house” whereas a realistic goal might be more like “I want to take some free classes on how to build things on my own since I have never touched a tool before in my life.”

Timely: Putting an end point on your goal helps give you something to focus on. Especially if you are a procrastinator at heart, this is an important one for you! If there is no end time, there is no urgency to get started or to keep going. This will help to give you a better picture of where you are going and when you are going to get there.

What goals would you like to work on? Has this helped you in setting some goals for yourself?

Here is one ultimate goal I have: I would like my house to be ready for someone to stop by at any point of the day. I will do this by working on my organization and finding a home for everything, especially the little things. I will spend a little time during each nap that my son takes to make sure things are put away, making sure I do not have to step over anything to walk through my house.
"By the end of this week, my house will be clean enough to have guests over (what would I want my house to look like if I was trying to sell it?), always, and I will work to keep it this way by continually putting things back into the spots I created for them."