Being SMART About Goals
What's so important about setting goals?
Now That's SMART!
I recently taught a brief workshop about the importance of setting SMART goals for the year. We discussed the various types of goals:
Spiritual
Exercise
Writing
Career
All of these types of goals may apply to your life or not. But one thing we discussed was how all these goals should connect in some way.
Goals vs. Objectives
So, what is a goal anyway?
A goal is a long-term achievement that is typically future focused. A goal doesn't include steps to accomplish it, but just a long-term achievement you would like to accomplish.
An objective is the specific steps you'll take to meet your goal. They are measurable and typically have a timeline.
Here's an example of a popular spiritual goal:
"I'd like to read through the entire Bible this year!"
That is a common goal that is actually achievable, but it requires some tools to help meet it.
Objective: "I will download an app to my phone that will help me read 2 chapters of the Bible a day so that I can meet my goal."
See the difference? Now, brainstorm your spiritual goal for the year and one objective that will help you meet that goal.
My spiritual goal for this year is to be more encouraging to others, be in the Bible each day, and rely on prayer.
Objective: Post more encouragement on social media.
Objective: Use more encouraging words in my conversations with others
Objective: Teach Bible studies to women every 8 weeks
Objective: Pray with my husband daily
These objectives will help me accomplish my spiritual goal by the end of the year. I can measure each objective and keep track of my progress.
Just Keep Writing!
Next, if you are a writer, you will want to set a common sense goal for yourself this year. My goal is to write and publish 3 books this year. That will take some time and effort, so I will need to have a plan set to help me reach that goal:
Objective: Use Scrivener to help me organize my book projects.
Objective: Set aside specific time each day to write at least one chapter, per book project, a day.
Objective: Schedule appointments with my editors to make sure they can edit each book project.
Objective: Budget money so that I can pay for editing and other tools necessary to publish and market each book project
Now I have a plan and steps that I will take to meet my writing goals this year. But how does this writing goal connect with my spiritual goal?
Why does it matter?
My spiritual goal for the year is to be more encouraging to others. I can connect my writing goal to my spiritual goal by making sure the theme of my books will be encouraging to my readers. In doing so, I will be encouraged, too!
I will make sure I pray over each book project to make sure they are pleasing to God. That is important to me.
How can your writing goals connect to your spiritual goals this year?
S.M.A.R.T.
SMART goals is a system set up to help you make those connections. This system causes you to pause and make sure your goals can be accomplished:
Is your goal specific? Is it important to you? Why?
Is your goal measurable? How will you be able to know that you accomplished your goal?
Is your goal achievable? Is it too grand that there's no way you can accomplish it?
Is your goal relevant to other aspects of your life? Does is align with your other goals?
Is your goal timely? Is it deadline-focused? Is it something that you will work toward?
All of these questions cause you to STOP and truly analyze your goals. Why is this important? Because you want to be successful! Grandiose goals will cause you to feel like a failure when you do not accomplish them. Where's the fun in that?
As you can see, goals are very important to me. I try and set three goals each year:
Spiritual-Be more encouraging
Exercise- Finish the Rome Marathon
Writing-Write and publish 3 books
This year I am adding a career goal: Start classes on my second Masters degree.
All of these goals are achievable and measurable and they align with each other. They are something I can work toward this year and next.
Your turn: Do you set goals for yourself each year? How do you work toward your goals? What tools do you use?
Have a blessed year!
Now That's SMART!
I recently taught a brief workshop about the importance of setting SMART goals for the year. We discussed the various types of goals:
Spiritual
Exercise
Writing
Career
All of these types of goals may apply to your life or not. But one thing we discussed was how all these goals should connect in some way.
Goals vs. Objectives
So, what is a goal anyway?
A goal is a long-term achievement that is typically future focused. A goal doesn't include steps to accomplish it, but just a long-term achievement you would like to accomplish.
An objective is the specific steps you'll take to meet your goal. They are measurable and typically have a timeline.
Here's an example of a popular spiritual goal:
"I'd like to read through the entire Bible this year!"
That is a common goal that is actually achievable, but it requires some tools to help meet it.
Objective: "I will download an app to my phone that will help me read 2 chapters of the Bible a day so that I can meet my goal."
See the difference? Now, brainstorm your spiritual goal for the year and one objective that will help you meet that goal.
My spiritual goal for this year is to be more encouraging to others, be in the Bible each day, and rely on prayer.
Objective: Post more encouragement on social media.
Objective: Use more encouraging words in my conversations with others
Objective: Teach Bible studies to women every 8 weeks
Objective: Pray with my husband daily
These objectives will help me accomplish my spiritual goal by the end of the year. I can measure each objective and keep track of my progress.
Just Keep Writing!
Next, if you are a writer, you will want to set a common sense goal for yourself this year. My goal is to write and publish 3 books this year. That will take some time and effort, so I will need to have a plan set to help me reach that goal:
Objective: Use Scrivener to help me organize my book projects.
Objective: Set aside specific time each day to write at least one chapter, per book project, a day.
Objective: Schedule appointments with my editors to make sure they can edit each book project.
Objective: Budget money so that I can pay for editing and other tools necessary to publish and market each book project
Now I have a plan and steps that I will take to meet my writing goals this year. But how does this writing goal connect with my spiritual goal?
Why does it matter?
My spiritual goal for the year is to be more encouraging to others. I can connect my writing goal to my spiritual goal by making sure the theme of my books will be encouraging to my readers. In doing so, I will be encouraged, too!
I will make sure I pray over each book project to make sure they are pleasing to God. That is important to me.
How can your writing goals connect to your spiritual goals this year?
S.M.A.R.T.
SMART goals is a system set up to help you make those connections. This system causes you to pause and make sure your goals can be accomplished:
Is your goal specific? Is it important to you? Why?
Is your goal measurable? How will you be able to know that you accomplished your goal?
Is your goal achievable? Is it too grand that there's no way you can accomplish it?
Is your goal relevant to other aspects of your life? Does is align with your other goals?
Is your goal timely? Is it deadline-focused? Is it something that you will work toward?
All of these questions cause you to STOP and truly analyze your goals. Why is this important? Because you want to be successful! Grandiose goals will cause you to feel like a failure when you do not accomplish them. Where's the fun in that?
As you can see, goals are very important to me. I try and set three goals each year:
Spiritual-Be more encouraging
Exercise- Finish the Rome Marathon
Writing-Write and publish 3 books
This year I am adding a career goal: Start classes on my second Masters degree.
All of these goals are achievable and measurable and they align with each other. They are something I can work toward this year and next.
Your turn: Do you set goals for yourself each year? How do you work toward your goals? What tools do you use?
Have a blessed year!
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