Setting goals for yourself and your business is a task that we are all familiar with, yet most of us struggle with at times. You may set a goal to complete a specific presentation, to address a concern in a business meeting, to reach out to customers, or maybe to “be rich” one day.

We are constantly setting goals for ourselves but do we truly understand the importance of these goals? Furthermore, are you setting goals properly? Do you truly understand the benefits of setting these goals or are you just setting them in hopes that it will encourage you complete things you hope to obtain in the future?

The guidelines to setting goals should always be centered around S.M.A.R.T. goals.

This stand for,

                    S- Specific: targeted around an area of improvement or specific need

                    M- Measurable: quantifiable

                    A- Attainable: realistic based on constraints

                    R- Relevant: line up with other business or personal goals

                    T- Timely: must have an end time

Now we know what you’re thinking, “okay that looks good and all but what does that really mean and how do I do that?”

For example, the goals listed in the beginning can be altered to…“I want to finish this Excel spreadsheet on the company’s yearly revenue before my 3pm meeting ” This is specific, has a time frame therefore measurable, and it is reasonable.

For the next goal you instead may say, “I want to email at least 15 customers by 5pm and ask them for feedback about my products they purchased so that I can establish a relationship and obtain customer reviews for my website.” This is realistic, has a purpose and a clear objective.

Now you may be asking yourself, “Why is this so important to set goal like this?”

We feel that by setting yourself S.M.A.R.T. goals, you will be able to:

  •       Increase your motivation
  •       Have the ability to narrow in and focus
  •       Possess a timeline that you can refer to and communicate
  •       Always know your expectations
  •       Be able to prioritize
  •       Help you with self-discipline
  •       Be provided with the exact desired outcome
  •       Know how to manage your time appropriately
  •       Have gratification once your goal is accomplished

Not only can you set S.M.A.R.T. goals for yourself and your company, but you can set them for your employees. By doing this, they will be provided with specific expectations which should prevent unclarity. Also, if you wish to check the status on a goal, they should be able to give you a more precise answer.

Goal setting can range from small to big, from short-term to long-term and may involve just you or a whole company. Either way, we truly believe that having a defined goal, more specifically a S.M.A.R.T. goal, will truly make an impact in your productivity and help you reach your end result in a more timely manner.