Effective Goal-Setting Tip #1: SMART is Just the Start

I had a great time speaking at the Career Networking Group last week about Practical Goal-Setting: From Good Intentions to Great Achievements! The audience was wonderfully engaged throughout the talk, which made it a terrific event for me and for them. We discussed my spin on the SMART approach to goal setting and focused on ways to make it here-and-now useful for each participant.

Chances are, you're familiar with the traditional SMART technique. The idea is to make your goals Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Based. And, in truth, I think this approach has actually got some merit. It transforms general good intentions - think, My team will be more effective - into actionable, measurable goals - think, My team will improve productivity by 20% over the next 6 months through focused, weekly team meetings and delegation of individual and group responsibility for specific tasks.

You can get as specific as you'd like with a goal like this. In some ways, the more specific, the better - as long as you keep it realistic and attainable. There's nothing less motivating than setting a highly specific goal that no one can possibly achieve.

The issue isn't that SMART doesn't work. Quite often, it does. The problem is that it's a dry, mechanical approach to goal setting. It doesn't do much for Napoleon Hill's "A goal is a dream with a deadline." (Check out my August 17 blog entry for more on this.) The traditional SMART technique is simply that - a technique. It's the necessary-but-not-sufficient framework for effective goal setting.

To move beyond the basics - to create goals that reflect your dreams - try my spin on SMART. Craft goals that are based in Strengths, Motivation, Accountability, Relevance and Tenacity. Check back soon, as I'll tackle each of these elements, one by one, to help you develop meaningful, inspiring goals - the kind of goals that bring you that much closer to fulfilling your dreams.

Until next time...

Liz

A Goal is a Dream...

A goal is a dream with a deadline.

- Napoleon Hill

I am just now putting the finishing touches on my upcoming talk (as in, this Thursday, August 20th) for the Career Networking Group of Basking Ridge, NJ. The topic: Practical Goal-Setting: From Intent to Achievement!

It's a talk I've given before but I always like to revise and tailor my speeches for the given audience. In revamping my comments for Thursday's group, I decided to include the above quote by Napoleon Hill. I think it's really a terrific way to think about goals. The fact is, we live in a world of deadlines, quotas, to-do's and must-do's. Often we are asked to pursue goals that don't have much personal meaning or significance. And while we can probably pull them off - at least to some extent - achieving someone else's goals isn't likely to provide us with a strong sense of accomplishment, pride or fulfillment.

So let me ask you: What are your dreams? How can you set inspiring goals to help you fulfill those dreams?

I'll be writing a number of posts over the coming weeks to help you set goals with personal and professional meaning, relevance, and motivational staying power. Tune in for more. And if you happen to be in Basking Ridge on Thursday, come join me. The event is free and open to the public. I hope to see you there!

Until next time...

Liz

Take Control of Your Time

Take control of your time. You'll be amazed at how focused, efficient and productive you can be.

Okay, here it is, almost 11:00 on a Monday morning, and I haven't yet made an appreciable dent in today's list of important and time-sensitive tasks. Now don't get me wrong, I haven't exactly been sitting around eating Bon Bons. (Makes me wonder, does anyone actually sit around eating Bon Bons? Surely there are other ways to kick back and kill a little time. But I digress...) In the past couple of hours, I've answered emails, read a couple of good articles, posted some timely tweets and engaged in a variety of other useful but non-urgent activities.

Does this sound familiar? How often do you find your morning, afternoon, even your entire day slipping away as you engage in a host of never-scheduled-yet-always-there-to-steal-your-attention, time-sucking activities?

Time is a precious commodity. As we all know, there are never enough hours in the day. So here's where I encourage you to do as I say, not as I (sometimes, I must admit) do. Decide what you absolutely must accomplish in a given day. Schedule these essential and perhaps time-sensitive activities for the very beginning of the day. Tackle them before you scan the morning's emails and don't allow yourself to get distracted. See how much you can achieve before 11 am.

When you take charge of your time in this way, you'll be amazed at how focused, efficient and productive you can be.

Until next time...

Liz

Weathering the Storm

I woke up this morning to the sound of robins chirping outside my window. Their lovely singsong chatter came from a new nest, hidden beneath the leaves of the magnolia tree in my front yard. My 6 year-old son and I watched it being constructed just last week. If you've ever watched a bird making a nest, it's really kind of an amazing process. Twig after twig, strand after strand of grass are carried to the "construction site" until the nest is sturdy and strong.

I was quite relieved to see the nest, still in fine shape, following the monsoon-like rains we've had over the past few days. The birds had built an amazingly solid foundation that kept them safe in the midst of some pretty fierce storms. They made it through, the sun is shining once again, and life goes on.

Now that our own collective storm is passing - and signs do show that the Great Recession is finally coming to an end - how prepared are you to meet the opportunities that await? Are you looking ahead with optimism? Are you ready to shake off the gloom and fear that have been holding us back?

The recovery is coming. Be prepared. Your attitude - and your actions - will impact how you emerge from this powerful but passing storm.

Until next time...

Liz