Tips for Making Your Goals Count this Year 2014....II

3. S.M.A.R.T. Goals. S.M.A.R.T. means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive. I really like this acronym, S.M.A.R.T., because we want to be smart when we set our goals. We want to intelligently decide what our goals will be so that we can actually accomplish them. We want to set the goals that our heart conceives, our minds believe and that our bodies will carry out. Let's take a closer look at each of the components of S.M.A.R.T. goals: Specific:Goals are no place to waffle. They are no place to be vague. Ambiguous goals produce ambiguous results. Incomplete goals produce incomplete futures. Measurable:Always set goals that are measurable. I would say "specifically measurable" to take into account our principle of being specific as well. Attainable:One of the detrimental things that many people do - and they do it with good intentions— is to set goals that are so high they are unattainable. Realistic:The root word of realistic is "real." A goal has to be something that we can reasonably make "real" or a "reality" in our lives. Time:Every goal should have a time frame attached to it. I think that life itself is much more productive if there is a time frame connected to it. Could you imagine how much procrastination there would be on earth if people never died? We would never get "around to it." We could always put it off. One of the powerful aspects of a great goal is that it has an end, a time in which you are shooting to accomplish it. 4. Accountability(a contract with yourself or someone else). When someone knows what your goals are, they hold you accountable by asking you to "give an account" of where you are in the process of achieving that goal. Accountability puts some teeth into the process. If a goal is set and only one person knows it, does it really have any power? Many times, no. At the very least, it isn't as powerful as if you have one or more other people who can hold you accountable to your goal. When you put these 4 key pieces together, you are putting yourself in a position of power that will catapult you toward achieving your goals.