Goals.

We’ve all got ’em. Everybody wants to do something, be somebody, get somewhere or create something.

What are your goals?

Do you want a new job or promotion?

What about that killer beach body?

I know… you’ve got your eye on this car (or house, or boat) right?

Each of us has a goal. But how many of us are actually going to achieve that goal?

How Can You Make Your Goal a Reality

I’ve heard several wise people use the phrase “plan your work and work your plan.” That’s how you tackle your goals in order to make them reality.

Here’s how you can do it.

Brilliant Goals

Screw SMART goals. Make yours BRILLIANT!

No, that’s not an acronym, I’m just saying take the SMART concept to the next level.

Specific

Narrow down what it is that you want. Don’t just say “I want to be successful.” Give it some detail.

The best way to do this is to keep asking yourself a “W” question until it gets difficult to answer.

• Why do you want to be successful?
• When do you want to be successful?
• Who is going to help you become successful?
• How are you going to be successful?

Keep asking those questions at least 3 or 4 levels deep to make sure you are getting specific.

Measurable

How are you going to know that you have arrived at your goal if you can’t measure it?

Really, this helps you make and work your plan. When you can measure against your goal, you can track your progress and know if you’re ahead or behind your target completion date (see Timely below).

If you’re only 10% of the way done, but you’re deadline is next week, well… you better get your hiney in gear!

Attainable

I’m all for aiming for the stars, and creating lofty goals.

HOWEVER, there is a difference between stretch goals and impossible goals.

Face it folks, I will NEVER be an astronaut. It doesn’t matter what I do, as a slightly chubby, almost 40-year-old former-executive-assistant-turned-marketer, I can pretty much guarantee you that I will never set foot in a NASA spacecraft. That one’s just not attainable.

But if you are sitting there in front of your computer or cell phone screen perfectly happy with the goal you set and comfortably confident with your ability to achieve it, then you are missing the point of setting a goal.

Your goal should scare you just a little bit. You should look at it and have to tell yourself “I can do it!”

If your current goal is TOO attainable, ask yourself how you can take it just one. step. further.

Relevant

Everything in life is relevant, or irrelevant, depending on how you look at it, right?

The question you have to ask yourself here is “How does this goal take me closer to my dream?”

If it doesn’t, then you need to reevaluate the goal and how it can be brought in alignment with your ultimate dream.

If your dream is to become a world class equestrian, and your goal is to regularly attend a knitting group… your goal might not be relevant.

Timely

I’m a procrastinator. I need deadlines.

Truth be told, most of us need deadlines. We aren’t just natural born, every day, overachievers. And face it, life happens, priorities change. We need motivators. And deadlines happen to be a VERY good motivator.

Chocolate is a good motivator too, but that comes with waistline issues so we won’t go there!

Write It Down

Several studies have repeatedly shown that writing down your goals increases your chance of achieving it. I totally agree . . . for several reasons.

1. If you write it down you can put your goal somewhere so you can see it every day. This reminds you and gets you back on the right path every time you see it.

2. I forget things. I know, I’m getting old. It’s easy to forget I wanted to do something or go somewhere. Writing down that goal is a daily reminder. I can’t forget. I can’t “conveniently” forget. Which leads to…

3. Accountability. Having your goal written down keeps you in check and on track. When you go back and ready it, ask yourself if you are accomplishing your goal.

It’s a yes or no question.

Yes, you are making progress, keep on keeping on.

No, you’ve stalled or gotten off track, so how are you getting back in gear and making progress?

Make a Plan

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

So you have your goal, you have written it down, it is prominently in your view every day. Now what?

Now you make a plan.

Look at your goal. How are you going to get there? Think about the steps it is going to take. What is the first one?

Sample Goal – Utilize my creative photography skills to book at least three pet photo shoots per month by July 31st.

Step #1: Create an ad flyer that I can post at pet stores and dog parks.

Step #2: Do pro bono pet photo shoots with 3-5 close friends or neighbors for my portfolio.

Step #3: Create a website to showcase my portfolio.

Step #5: Connect on social media with pet lovers in my area.

Step #6:

Step #7:

See how this works? Take your goal and break it down into bite-size chunks that will help you get to your goal, step by step by step.

This does two things.

1. That goal that was such a stretch, doesn’t seem so daunting after all. How about that!

2. You are more likely to accomplish a bunch of smaller goals that all point you in the direction of that larger goal.

Create a flyer? Easy peasy.
Do a couple free photo shoots for friends? That’s the fun stuff!

Before you know it, you will be looking back saying “Why did I ever doubt myself?”

AND BONUS. . . you’re going to build some incredible momentum as you accomplish each of the small steps and you’ll be at your goal before you know it!

What’s Your Goal?

So what is your brilliant goal?

What are you doing to get yourself there?

If you’re comfortable, share your goal in the comments below.

Let’s all write it down and keep each other accountable!