Goal setting is a constant refinement process and there are countless techniques that one can use to set goals. Goal setting is a cornerstone of every successful being out there. All the people who have achieved their goals all went through this process of goal setting and an effective goal setting strategy is one that works, and one that yields results. Of course, attaining success and reaching our goals is more than just writing some things down, it is more about us clearly defining a definite objective, and this objective must be measurable, and time bound. It is more than just setting a definite goal or objective, rather about placing all our energy, willpower, and all effort in achieving that goal. For there to be a goal, there must first be a dreaming, hoping, wishing, and desiring. However, a dream remains just a dream, a hope, if we do not take time to plan and work towards making that a reality.

For us to truly succeed in achieving our goals, we must first have a burning desire. A burning desire impels us to constantly be at our goal, the goal become our dominant mental attitude and everything we do must be contributing towards this goal. This allows us to weed out anything that is a distraction and not contributing towards this goal. We are further impelled to also look into our habits, are they in line with the person we want to become or not? This moves us to make changes in our lives, as way to ensure we stay laser-focused on our purpose, which is the attaining our goal.

Now, there are countless number of qualities one need to possess to realize their goal. This includes, definiteness of purpose, this is the absolute knowledge of what one wants, coupled with a burning desire to possess it. To have this, one needs to change from an idle dreamer to a practical dreamer. Now, for all we see today, was at once someone’s dream, hope, wish and desire. Modern society is shaped by practical dreamers. Practical dreamer means having definite of purpose, however, make decisive steps towards making the goal a reality. This means taking decisive action towards the goal, with this in mind, “I have to make this work, and there is no turning back now.” Think of soldiers who are about to go to war. They know they are outnumbered and the forces they are up against are strong and powerful. They board their ships and head for the battleground. When they arrive on shore, the commander of the army destroys the ships they came with and utter these words, “The only way for us to get off this island is by winning this battle.” This is called burning the bridges, and the only leaving one option on the table, which is favorable, winning or realizing the goal. This should be how we should be approaching our goals. Goals should be approached with leaving no possible way for retreat, no matter how hard it gets, or how much longer it takes for us to reach the goal, with persistence and dedication, we will do all it takes to win, because we do not recognize failure, and we have eliminated every possible way of retreat to the life we do not want to live.

Now, how can we build an everlasting burning desire for our goals? The first step towards this is set the goal and picture ourselves in possession of this goal. The goal could be money, being in shape or better relationship with ourselves and others, whatever it may be. In so doing, this further strengthens our resolve to attain this goal, because we are obsessed about this version we want to be after set time. If the goal is acquiring riches, we must know the exact amount we want to have, after how long, what we intend to do with the money. This is what we need to do, and most importantly, we must see ourselves already in possession of this amount of money. This will change our attitude and strengthen the resolve to have this amount of money.

But how do we go about setting SMART goals? We will elaborate on this topic in this article.

What are SMART goals?

The SMART stands for the following:

• S - Specific
• M - Measurable
• A - Attainable/Achievable
• R - Relevant/Reason
• T - Time-bound

We will go on to explain each letter and its meaning and how we can go on to apply each of these steps in our goal setting.

Specific

The goal we set must be specific. This is very important in us defining a definite purpose. What is it are we working towards? Is it money, lifestyle, relationship, success, etc.? By clearing defining what we are working towards, that removes the ambiguity, generality, and guesswork.

We must answer the following questions to set a specific goal:

• What needs to be accomplished?
• Who is responsible for it?
• What steps need to be taken to achieve it?

This makes it much clear what we are working towards, and steps we ought to take. The following is an example of a specific goal.

“I will boost monthly sales by running more targeted ads and increasing promotional email effectiveness by using strong call-to-actions.”

Now, let us see if this goal is specific:

• What needs to be accomplished?
• boost monthly sales
• Who is responsible for it?
• I, or Yourself
• What steps need to be taken to achieve it?
• by running more targeted ads and increasing promotional email effectiveness by using strong call-to-actions.

Measurable

Now, a goal must be measurable, as in what metric are we to use to measure the success or failure of this goal? This makes it easier to measure and track your progress towards the goal. This means we need to quantify our goals and have a way to measure progress.

Now, back to the previously mentioned goal stated below,

“I will boost monthly sales by running more targeted ads and increasing promotional email effectiveness by using strong call-to-actions.”

Now, by looking at the above goal, we can see that we want to boost monthly sales, but by which scale do we want to boost sales? This means we cannot measure the above goal. We can the refine this goal to be as follows,

“I will boost monthly sales from $1,000 to $2,000 (scale by 2) by running more targeted ads and increasing promotional email effectiveness by using strong call-to-actions.”

Now, we can see the above goal now has a measuring metric, which is scaling monthly turnover by 2. This makes it much easier to track how far are we from the finish line. Say on month 1, we make a turnover of $1,300, meaning we are shy $700, but we can see we need to either increase ads, or refine our marketing techniques. This could be trying a new marketing platform, changing the message, or finding new ways to impact your customers. However, because we have a measuring matric, we can see ways to improve, and be able to discern if there is room for improvement or not. We keep on getting better, and eventually will hit the $2,000 monthly turnover mark.

Attainable/Achievable

Now, this calls for a serious reality check, which is when we ask ourselves if this goal is truly attainable or not. Some people fail to achieve their goal, simply because it is unattainable. This means we must consider the circumstances and possible limitations or things that may hinder us from reaching the goal. This ensures our goal is attainable and we do not set ourselves up for failure by setting a goal that is impossible to achieve.

Consider the following scenario:

Say our circumstances are as follows: We must work on a massive time-consuming project, leaving little to no time for our online marketing business. Therefore, given these circumstances, do you think we will be able to achieve the goal of moving from $1,000 to $2,000 monthly turnover on month 1? The answer to this could be no.

Now, say we finish this time-consuming project and set out to have more time for our business. Do you think now the goal would be attainable? The answer will be a resounding Yes because we no longer have any limitations and with all efforts, can achieve this goal. Therefore, we must always consider our circumstances before setting and goal and see if our circumstances will allow us to achieve such a goal.

However, we must be careful not to use things we can change as excuse for not working on our goals. For example, is this time-consuming project we are working on something that is urgent or can wait? If not urgent, we then must decipher what is more important and work on one top priority. Take home: Do not make an excuse for not working on what is more important.

Therefore, when we set goals, be sure it forms part of your main purpose, in that way, we will be impelled to achieve it.

Relevant/Reason

When setting a goal, it must be relevant to the main prevailing goal, the dominant goal, that which forms part of our purpose and that we eagerly seek to achieve more than anything. That which stays true to our values, principles, and philosophies/paradigms we live by. By making sure the goal stays relevant to these factors, we increase our will to achieve it. This means we must give a reason why we want to achieve this goal, and how will this help us in the long run.

Have a look at the goal below:

“I will boost monthly sales from $1,000 to $2,000 (scale by 2) by running more targeted ads and increasing promotional email effectiveness by using strong call-to-actions, because this will allow me to reinvest in the business by hiring a proof-reader, thus increasing productivity.”

The above goal now has substance, and every time we read this, we will remember the reason why we have set this goal. On top of that, it is relevant to what we are currently working on, which is growing our business, and hiring a proof-reader will increase productivity, thus grow the business.

Time-bound

We need to progress in life and to see progress, we cannot be working on one goal to time indefinite. We only have so much time in life, thus it would not make sense working on one thing for way too long. This means our goal need to be time-bound, when we expect to achieve this goal. By doing this, we set ourselves to move on to other goals and effectively progress and add to the main goal.

Consider the goal below:

“I will boost monthly sales from $1,000 to $2,000 (scale by 2), by end of January 2022 onwards, by running more targeted ads and increasing promotional email effectiveness by using strong call-to-actions, because this will allow me to reinvest in the business by hiring a proof-reader, thus increasing productivity.”

The goal above is complete and comprises of all SMART goal setting techniques. In doing this, the goal is clear, and every time we read this goal, we will be sure to derive motivation to achieve it.

Conclusion

As we embark on the journey of goal setting, remember that consistency is the key to transforming dreams into reality. The path to steadfast goal attainment demands unwavering commitment and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Embrace the power of a burning desire that fuels your every action and propels you forward, leaving no room for retreat. Visualize your goals with unwavering clarity, and let your actions be guided by a definitive purpose. Incorporate the SMART goal-setting techniques into your strategy, infusing your aspirations with specificity, measurability, attainability, relevance, and a time-bound structure. Let each step you take be aligned with your ultimate purpose, constantly propelling you toward the pinnacle of success. The journey may be challenging, but it is the persistence, dedication, and unwavering spirit that will ultimately lead you to the fulfillment of your deepest ambitions. Stay committed, stay consistent, and unlock the limitless potential that lies within. Your journey has just begun. Exciting new horizons await, beckoning you to embrace the power of unwavering consistency in your pursuit of greatness.