By: Dr. Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Sr. Associate Editor-ICN Group
KOLKATA: In the last article, we started understanding the goal setting process and power of writing all your desires. Today, we will see how you can convert those desires into S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals.
Convert the desires into S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals
After completing your written wish list, let us add some ingredients to make it a goal. Let us make our goals ‘S.M.A.R.T.E.R.’
Specific & simple
It is necessary to be specific while setting a goal. If you want something, be specific. ‘I would like to have more money’, ‘I want to lose weight’ or ‘I want more marks in exams’ are not specific. These are just wishing. You have to be specific, because as per law of attraction, the universe delivers, what you desire specifically. Therefore, you should fix a target in the manner that ‘I want to earn Rs. 5 lacs per month’ or ‘I want to reduce my weight from 90 kgs. to 70 kgs.’ or ‘I want to increase my marks in Maths from 85% to 95%’.
Benefit of writing specific goals is that it helps us to identify exactly, ‘what’ we want; ‘why’ we want; and ‘how’ we are going to achieve the same; and then helps us to focus and channelize our energies towards a purposeful direction.
The goals must be significant for you to achieve, otherwise you would not gather the enthusiasm required to work hard towards achieving your goal.
Measurable
If you can’t measure your achievements, you have no yardstick to see your progress. All your goals should be measurable so that regular evaluation may be done. I want to earn Rs. 5 lacs per month is a specific goal and is measurable anytime. I want to reduce my weight from 90 Kgs. to 70 kgs. is a perfectly measurable goal. I want to read two good books every month is a measurable goal. I want to be a reader of good books is not measurable as you have no yardstick to check your progress. When you measure your progress, you remain on the right track.
Adjustable & Attainable
The goal should be monitored at regular intervals and it should be adjustable. For example, if you have set the goal of reducing your weight by 12 kgs. in 12 months (i.e. 1 kg. a month) and you see that you could reduce only 3 kgs. in the first 6 months, either you should increase your per month reduction rate over next 6 months or you should reduce your target to only 9 kgs. i.e. 3 kgs. already achieved and 6 kgs. in next 6 months.
You should feel free to change your goals without hesitation or without feeling any guilt for not achieving the mid-term goals. No human being has sufficient foresight to make perfect plans, which do not require any changes at later stages. How can you blame yourself for not planning perfectly in advance? Moreover, the goals are progressive i.e. when you achieve one goal, you might see that achieving even higher goal than targeted earlier was possible and, in this case, the adjustment will be positive. Suppose you reduce your weight by 9 kgs. in first 6 months, it’s good and there is no need to stick to plan of reducing only 3 kgs in next 6 months. Similarly, suppose you target for a monthly income of Rs. 1 lakh in one year and after 6 months you see that your monthly income is already Rs. 1.5 lacs per month. In this scenario, if you do not revise your target upwardly, from where you will get the necessary motivation & enthusiasm for further progress.
Though clarity is of utmost importance, you should be flexible in your journey to success. You will face various unexpected things during your journey and your plan should be flexible to change after regular evaluation based on feedbacks about the progress made so far.
(In the next 2 articles, we will know about the remaining points of SMARTER goals. I believe that you are enjoying the journey towards the future of your dreams with me. If yes, please stay tuned every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday. Happy G.O.P.T.A.)
Dr. Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Creator & copyright holder of the concept G.O.P.T.A.© is an Author, Certified NLP Lifestyle Master Practitioner, Corporate Trainer & Motivational Speaker and recipient of Honorary Doctorate of Excellence (Management) by prestigious Young Scientist University, California, USA. He is Founder of ‘Read, Learn & Earn Movement’ and is popularly known among his fans & followers across the globe as ‘Time and Goal Guru’.
