Set Goals

I based my goals off of of how I defined success (find how I defined success in my other post under Getting Started).  I like to have short term goals that are stepping stones to long term goals.

To help me write goals I have used two different clever guidelines:

• SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results focused, and Time bound

• I will do What, How Well, By When?

There has to be a measure so there is evidence I have reached my goal.  I need to be as specific as I can with the goal I am trying to accomplish.

The goal should be achievable but stretch me some.  Many of my goals, which can be seen on the side of this blog, are out of the realm of what many would consider achievable.  In this case I am shooting for crazy big things to see just what I am capable of doing.  I don't suggest everyone make goals as lavish as mine, but I do believe every person is capable of accomplishing whatever they can dream of.  As said by Earl Nightingale in Think and Grow Rich: Instant Motivator, "your mind would not think of things that it wasn't capable of achieving; if you can dream it, you can achieve it".  I am the lab rat in my own elaborate study!

The goals should measure outcomes or results, and there should always be a realistic time frame to accomplish the goal.

REVIEW my goals often.  In my case I have created a vision board so not only can I review them daily, but I can also spend time meditating and allowing my subconscious an opportunity to inform my conscious self how to achieve them.

Lastly, I can't be afraid to let my goals evolve a little bit as I go along.  With that said don't use that as an excuse to say, "oh, I won't be able to achieve this goal so I will just change it".  Keep the time frame and skeleton of the goal the same, but adjust and add details as needed to make the goal more realistic and exact.

Check out this informative and concise explanation on writing goals by author Michael Hyatt
http://michaelhyatt.com/goal-setting.html