How to set goals and achieve them!
Setting goals may be harder than it seems: you write tips down, you believe in it but in the end, you cannot understand why you failed to complete it. Can you imagine, how many people every year swear that they will give up smoking, lose weight, travel more and find a new job? Lots of them cannot even make halfway through to their goals, giving up at the very beginning. “It’s important to set your own goals and work hard to achieve them.” — Yuichiro Miura
We are sure that you are guilty too: however, this is not because you are hopeless. It just means you are setting goals the wrong way.
SMART strategy for students
Be smart: that is, be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-sensitive. Sounds impressive, huh? This is a simple but super effective formula that can help you reach any goal you set, move by little steps and complete your task no matter how long it will take you. Let’s take a closer look at how it all works.
Being specific. One of the most popular reasons why you cannot achieve the goal is that it is too ambiguous. Be realistic: estimate your skills and be as specific as possible describing your goal. Agree, that the goal I want to earn a lot and the goal I want to earn $30 000 per year sound differently. Which one do you choose?
Measure it. Nothing can be more demonstrating than numbers. How about including it into your goal setting? For example: I want to become a head of the department in two years, I want to increase my income by 15% this month instead of I want a promotion and I want to work harder. Numbers help you get a clear vision of how long it will take you to reach the goal and make plans on how to reach it, monitoring the progress.
Be attainable. Real goals lead to real results. Of course, there is nothing wrong in trying to jump above your head: however, it is better to move slowly, but confidently. For example, you started your own business by selling books. The goal to become better than Amazon looks good but not real, but the goal to overtake another small company in sales is much better.
Relevant goals. This means setting goals that go in line with your long-term plans and can directly reflect them. For example, you want to become an expert in rental properties. How about writing a book that can help you get an understanding of this field and connect with potential investors?
Time-bound. Time always matters, so the timeframe you set for your goal completion should be realistic. For example, the goal to lose 10 kg in 3 days means you have no chance to achieve it. Of course, you need a target date but you need to understand how many efforts you will have to put in it and set a realistic timeframe.
Being realistic means much, but don’t forget to stay positive and confident in yourself.
