The life list club is writers getting together to accomplish their goals. We are all guest posting for each other and creating our own lists. We are supporting each other in our goals and generally being productive.
If you want to join us, give me a shout-out in the comments. Today I'm honored to have Marcia Richards posting. If you haven't checked out her blog, you should.
I've also posted on Sonia Medeiros's blog so go check that out too!
Here's Marcia -
Be S.M.A.R.T., 5 Tips for Reaching Your Goals
Hey there, Life List Club Members!
Everyday we maintain our surroundings, cleaning house, weeding the garden, laundering clothing and going to work to earn a living. At the same time, we all dream about things we could be enjoying now or someday in the future – travel, a new home, new car, a healthier lifestyle, retirement.
How do we attain those things? Wishing for them won’t do it. Some of us will cut back on our food portions to lose a few pounds. Others will take on a part-time job to save money for a vacation. But, how long do these efforts really last? Usually they don’t last very long, we accomplish very little and feel disappointed in ourselves for not being able to stick with it.
This doesn’t make you bad, lazy, inept, or any other critical label you choose to hang around your neck.
You just didn’t know the best method for reaching those goals.
We’re going to remedy that problem. What makes the difference in successfully reaching your goals and losing steam after a short period, is what I’m about to lay out for you here. The acronym S.M.A.R.T. has been used by business consultants and coaches for many years and it’s been proven to work, if you follow the guideline.
Specific: If you set a vague goal such as this, how will you know when you’ve reached that goal? Specific goals provide you visualization of the goal and a route that will lead you there, if you follow it. Ask yourself,
Who is involved?
What do I want to accomplish and what are the obstacles to overcome?
Where will it take place?
When will it begin and end?
Measureable: Create the criteria you need to measure your progress toward the goal. For the sample goal, ask yourself: Ask yourself,
How much/many?
How will I know it has been accomplished?
Attainable: Once you have defined the desires most important to you, you’ll begin to imagine ways to attain them. You’ll brainstorm ideas. As you develop these ideas, you also develop a confidence in your ability to achieve anything you plan wisely. Ask yourself,
What method will I employ?
Do I have the ability/tools to accomplish it?
Realistic: A realistic goal requires that you are both willing and able to do the work to attain it. Choose a goal that you believe you can reach. Ask yourself,
What conditions would have to be present in order to accomplish this goal?
Time-Frame: Without giving yourself setting a time period in which to accomplish the goal, there is no sense of urgency, no fuel for forward movement. Anchor it, and your mind will be set on your goal. Ask yourself:
How long will it take?
What is the start and end date?
To Illustrate:
Vague goal: I want to travel
Specific goal: I want to travel to Key West, FL on February 14, 2012 for one week. I will need $2000 and will work 2 hours overtime every week for six months.
Measurable: Keep a log of how much I am saving every week and make the start and end of the six months on the calendar.
Attainable: I will need to request the time off in advance and clear my desk the week before the trip.
Realistic: It will be tiring to work longer hours so, I will go to bed earlier, and the reward will be a week of escape from winter weather.
Time-Framed: I will begin working overtime on August 14, 2011 and I will have enough money saved by February 14, 2012.
I wish us all good luck in attaining our goals and look forward to sharing the journey with you.
____________________________________________________________________Marcia Richards
Http://www.facebook.com/MarciaARichards
http://www.twitter.com/MarciaARichards
Marcia Richards, a veteran blogger, is author of the blog, Marcia Richards…Married With Stories, which includes posts on writing, history mid-life and a little bit of wickedness.
She is creating her debut historical trilogy covering the years between 1917 and 1975. An immigrant Irish family struggles with economic troubles and personal tragedy, while striving to maintain their dreams despite the obstacles. The trilogy highlights three generations of young women each fighting her way to happiness and fulfillment, as fleeting or difficult to grasp, as it may be.
10 comments:
Those a great things to think about to obtain a goal! I'm currently trying to follow those goals so I can go to New Zealand for a year after I graduate in December. Planning is extremely important! :)
Excellent advice. Sometimes I fall down in the specifics. I like having the acronym to keep me on track.
Thank you Jennie for hosting Marcia.
Marcia--This is really good advice. I read something similar in the Now Habit by Neil Fiore. Yours is shorter (and, therefore, easier), though. LOL
I love this - I've seen it before but you've resurrected it in my mind at a most opportune moment :D
By the way, I'd love to be part of the Life List Club :)
I love that you provided an example, you really are a teacher! But that's a perfect example of working hard to achieve a dream and really being excited about the outcome. Sometimes our dreams and goals will be long in process and that's ok, like you said, it just takes making achievable baby goals along the way, like tracking the money you save so you see yourself that much closer to your dream vacation!
P.S. Can I come? The swamp is booked. ;)
You should parlay this post into a magazine article. Very specific and very well-done.
This is great advice! It is easy to define a "goal" and get frustrated because you didn't take the time to figure out how to get there.
Thank you for this inspiration! It's great to have it narrowed down like this! Cheers from vB...
Courtney
http://www.mommyladyclub.com
Good things to think about!
I'm also interested in joining the Life List Club.
I absolutely agree in the power of spoken goals. I've dreamed of publication for some time now, but only recently posted it on the web. I started a blog to shove my private goal in the open - knowing that if others saw it, I'd be forced to work as hard as I could to make it a reality. The fact that I'm posting daily about things I'm doing to make it happen (and have folks read it), makes all the difference.
Goal: publication
Time frame : one year
attainable: yep
Realistic: Absolutely. I'm trying three routes to publication: traditional agent query (this goal is to have a contact in hand at the 1 year mark), a large epublisher and indie publishing. Wish me luck!
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