We all have goals in our lives and we all want our goals to become reality. There is a huge difference between the goals that become real and the goals that don’t. The difference is that the goals that become reality are SMART. We all have goals in our lives and I think it’s safe to say that we all want to see our goals become reality. You may not do goal-setting exercises and you may not write out your goals, but I can promise you that you do have goals. You may want a better life, a faster or nicer car, a bigger house, more money, more time, a better job, or anything else. These are all goals.

Since some of our goals come to fruition and some don’t, many people might wonder what it is that makes the difference. Well, there are many different theories about goal-setting and I’m sure there is some accuracy in all of them. What I am writing about here is the attribute that makes goals more achievable.

So what is this attribute, this quality, this special something that will make your goal more achievable? It’s called making your goals SMART. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time-oriented. So what does this mean?

Specific – You’re goal must be specific. If you set your goal as “I want more money” and you find a $100 bill on the ground, then your goal has been achieved, although that is probably not what you meant by more money. This is why you must be specific about your goal. If you want to earn an extra $100,000 this year then your goal must be “I want to earn an extra $100,000.”

Measurable – This means that you must have a way of measuring when your goal is achieved. If your goal is to lose 20 pounds, you can easily measure that goal with a scale. If your goal is to be a happier person, you need to ask yourself, “How will I know when I am a happier person?” You should always have a way of measuring the completion of your goal.

Actionable – You must have some way of taking action to get closer to your goal’s completion. If you have a goal that you just can’t take action towards, then the likelihood of your goal become reality is much less than if you can help create it. If your goal is to find your ideal mate, then you must create a way of finding this person. Where can you go to meet him or her? When will you go? With whom will you go?

Realistic – Your goals must be realistic. If your goal is to become a famous actor, then you need to make sure that you are realistically able to do so. If you are living on a farm in the country and you don’t know anyone in the movie business, then the chances of you becoming a famous actor are not as good as they would be if you lived in a city where there is a large acting community. This is also closely related to your goals being actionable.

Time-oriented – This is a very important aspect of SMART goals. You must set a deadline for your goals. You can set goals for a matter of weeks, months, or even years. If you want to meet your ideal partner, get a new car, buy a house, get a new job, or anything else – set a deadline. This deadline must be realistic. If your goal is to lose 20 pounds it may not be realistic to set a one-week deadline. However if you set out to lose exactly 20 pounds within 3 months by exercising 4 days per week for 1 hour and eating a low-fat diet filled with nutritious foods and you follow through with it, then you will be certain that in 3 months you will be 20 pounds slimmer.

These five key aspects of goals will make your goals more achievable and more motivating. Your goals will be easier to attain and you may even find your goals coming to fruition before the deadline that you’ve set. So either now or the next time you set a goal, make sure the goal is SMART.

Phillip Woodson
www.transformationalresults.com