While dreams are important, they don't become reality unless they are stated as measurable goals. There are basically three key elements needed for successful goal setting:
* Vision - a clear, specific picture of what you want to achieve. Most goals set are too general, as in "I want to be rich". The goals you set need to be SMART goals - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Bound. A smart goal might be "I will make $10,000 in sales per month beginning April 1st through September 30th. This goal meets the "SMART" criteria.
* Planning - your strategy, or the steps you will take to get to your goal. Let's take an example. Imagine that you have a goal to get to Boise, Idaho. This is not an achieveable goal because you haven't taken into consideration how you're going to get there. You could drive, fly, go by train, or take a bus. You decide to fly. Now you need to make flight reservations, consider transportation to and from the airport, and make arrangements for parking and rental car reservations. These are tactics to implement your strategy. Combining strategies and tactics, your goal of getting to Boise is achievable.
* Motivation - what induces action. Goal-setting and planning is useless without the motivation to follow through. Motivation may be different for everyone. It could be money, security, risk, acceptance, or self-esteem, for example.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions, or let us know how we can help you.
Until next time...
Sheryl Tuchman
http://www.tools2succeed.com/
