Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals by Adam Mortimer

Goal setting is perhaps one of the most important tools we can use to help us get to where we want to be. Setting goals give purpose to what we are doing each day. It is important that we break our big goals into smaller more manageable goals. Set your goal and work backwards. By doing this we set out a specific plan that could be followed each day. Writing out your goals can be an important step to success. By writing down our goals we organize our thoughts and we make it more manageable. Often we hear people say things like I want to lose weight, or I want to have more money in my account. Stating these things are not goals, it is a wish. What is the difference between wishing and true goal setting? The key is the detail that we put into the goal. The SMART acronym for goal setting is one of the best ways to do that. Saying I want to lose weight is not a goal, so what is? You would need to write out how much you want to lose. By when do you want to lose that much weight? What are you going to do daily? You might write out the type of exercise you will be doing daily. You would also write out the duration of your exercise. You would want to write out what types of food you will be eating. What plan and system are you going to put in place to make sure you stay on track? This could be hiring a coach or a friend that will hold you accountable to reaching this goal. If we set goals properly and we add the ingredients of desire and persistence we have a much great chance to accomplish what we set out to do.
What happens to those that do not set goals? If we elect not to set goals in our lives we give up a powerful tool that we have. That power is the power to choose. Many times when we put off goal setting we do so at our own peril. We do have a limited amount of time to accomplish what we set out to do. We can get to a point in our lives when it is too late. We do not want to wait until we are retirement age to set our financial goals. Let’s start today to use the powerful tools of goal setting and take control of our financial lives!