One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. "Which road do I take?" she asked. "Where do you want to go?" was his response. "I don't know" Alice answered. "Then", said the cat, "it doesn't matter."

Lewis Carroll  

Excerpt from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland

How many of us have found ourselves in this situation—walking, talking, working, and getting by just fine without ever really knowing where we are going? That’s exactly how life is for the 95% of people who don’t set SMART goals!

Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality.

The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that can, so easily, lead you astray.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUnqbBgYZmI

Unlike dreams, goals must adhere to strict rules. In order to be SMART goals, they must be…..

           

                                                               

  

           

SGoals should be specific and not general.

“I want to spend my entire Spring Break atDaytona Beach.”

NOT “I want to do something fun over Spring Break.”

MGoals should be measurable. Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of your goal. Ask questions such as…How much? How many?

“I need $150 for my share of the hotel room for the week.”

NOT “I need some money for my trip.”

AGoals should be attainable. Develop goals that are realistic and you can make come true.

“I’ll save $15 a week from Thanksgiving until Spring Break.”

NOT “I’ll win a weekly radio call-in contest to get the money to pay for my trip.”

RGoals should be realistic. Goals shouldrepresent an objective toward which you areboth willing and able to work.

“I plan to drive from Omaha to Daytona in about24 hours by using four drivers.”

NOT “I want to drive from Omaha to Daytona in about half a day.”

TGoals should be time-bound. A goal shouldbe grounded within a time-frame which allowsyou to monitor your progress.

“I’ll have the $150 for my trip expenses saved up by March 5th.”

NOT “I want to save up enough money by early Spring.”

More Creating SMART Goals    "I want to go to Panama City

Specific for Spring Break."  

               

    "I'll need $150 for my share of

Measurable the hotel room for the week."

               

    "I'll split the driving with my

Attainable friends and take $200 more for

    gas, food, and other spending."

    "I'll save $60 a month from my

Realistic paycheck for the next 6  

    months."        

Time- "I want to save all the money

Bound by March 1st."  

               

Not SMART Goals    "I want to go some where fun over Spring Break.”

Specific  

               

    "I want to save a bunch of money for the trip.”

Measurable

               

    "I want $500 to fly there and $700 for spending

Attainable money.”

   

    “I’ll buy lottery tickets every week.”

Realistic  

           

Time- "I want to save all the money by Spring.”

Bound  

               

SMART Goals Timelines

• Short Term– Up to three months“I’ll save $25 by the first of next month so I can take my friend out for pizza.”

• Intermediate Term– Three months to one year“I’ll save $10 a week for the next 25 weeks to buy a new outfit for the prom.”

• Long Term– Longer than one year

• DELAYED GRATIFICATION “ I’ll save $2,000 per year from summer jobs for the next 4 years to buy a car.”