Whenever you talk about goals, the concept of S.M.A.R.T. goals always comes up. In this 5 part series, we will look at this concept and how it can be applied to your big ideas. First, it's important to understand what each of the letters represents:
The "S" in S.M.A.R.T stands for
SPECIFIC
This suggests your goals MUST be clearly defined for you to achieve them. Research has shown that vague or general goals are harder to achieve because it's harder to determine when you have actually accomplished what you set out to accomplish.
Here's an example to illustrate this point:
Saying your want to have more disposable income is great, but setting that up as a goal isn't the best way to achieve that because it's a very vague sentiment. Whenever I hear people make statements like this, I automatically wonder how they are defining of the word "more". I mean, is $10.00 more okay with them or are they thinking more along the lines of $100,00.00 more? I also have to wonder when they want to see this increase in income...is the end of the year soon enough or are they looking for it by the time they retire?
Defining a goal as precisely as possible is the only way to know how far away you are from that goal and what you are going to have to do to accomplish this goal. I find some people hesitate when it's time to define these terms, afraid they will limit their accomplishments somehow. Don't forget goals can and should be re-assessed often so if you find the time frame you initially set your goal to be completed by is too long, or isn't long enough, you can make that adjustment when you determine that.
Keep in mind, getting specific about your goals doesn't mean you have to have all the answers when you start out. If you truly don't know how long your goal will take you to accomplish, begin with the amount of time you'd like to see it happen in. Once you get started planning out the steps you need to take to get to where you want to be, it will quickly become apparent when it seems likely you can accomplish this.
Shelley Brodie began her Project Management career in 1996, while in the Entertainment Industry. She spent a considerable amount of time working on projects across the Caribbean and in Canada, specializing in Casino start-up and development projects. On her way to Macau, China in 2004, Shelley stopped in Calgary to visit with family and decided to formalize her Project Management education.