Have you ever had a great idea and told yourself I am going to make this happen! You keep having this amazing idea, but you do not know where to start, or in fact, you just have not started. This is why creating goals to go along with those amazing ideas is so important. Developing goals is critical to your business’ success. There is a major difference between having an idea, and turning an idea into an actionable goal. The key is setting SMART goals. Set smart goals for your thriving business by utilizing this free worksheet below that will guide you through each step to create successful and effective goals.
What is a SMART goal?
SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Result-Focused, and Time-Bound.
How do I set SMART goals?
- Specific: Goals should be clear, concise, and detailed. This should cover everything from who, what, when, where, why, and how.
Here are some examples of questions you would ask yourself for your business goals:
Who- Who is involved?
What- What do I want to get accomplished? What is the purpose, reason, and benefits of this goal?
When- When do I need to get this accomplished by?
Where- Where is the location that this needs to be accomplished? Where will I market this product/service? Where can I find resources to accomplish this goal?
Why- Why am I setting goal? Why is it important?
- Measurable: Goals should be measurable. Ask yourself the question, “How will I know when I have accomplished my goal?” or how will you know when you have accomplished the smaller milestones toward achieving your goals? Setting measurable, concrete or even tangible goals keeps you on track.
- Achievable: Goals should be created challenging enough for growth and development yet possible enough to be attained, accomplished, and ultimately fully achieved.
- Results-Based: Goals should be measured by outcomes of steps taken to achieve the goals, and not by the steps taken themselves. Sometimes we can take steps to achieving our goals and get zero results. Other times we can set specific, measurable goals but if you do not actually implement these goals and place them into action then once again there are zero results. Results are your wins toward achievement, not your efforts.
- Time-Bound: Goals should have set time-frames and deadlines with a sense of urgency. Often times goals without time frames are not accomplished and remain simply ideas. We say we are going to do something but without time frames we decide to leave it off tomorrow, and tomorrow eventually becomes never. So make sure to always set yourself time frames that are realistic but also leave a sense of urgency to accomplish these goals.
Ready to set your SMART goals? Get this FREE SMART Goal Planner sent to your email where you can lay out your goals and prepare yourself and your business for success. So what are you waiting for? Get your copy right now!
