SMART Goal Setting For 2009
As we get set to welcome in 2009, we also must stop and take note of what we are looking to achieve in this coming year. Setting goals is one of the biggest keys to succeeding in any area of life and blogging is no exception.
“He who fails to plan, plans to fail!”
This is one quote that has stuck with me ever since I heard it, and it continually reminds me to stop and take check that I am constantly updating my goals.
There are two type of goals you can set:
- SMART goals
- Dumb goals
Here is an example of some dumb goals!
- I will make more money than last year from my blog
- I will regularly post on my blog
- I will make a million dollars online next year
- I want to grow the traffic to my blog
- I will spend time working on the SEO of my blog
Why are these goals dumb?
Before I can show you why these goals are dumb (if you haven’t worked it out already), I have to show you exactly what makes up a smart goal. As you may have guessed SMART is an acronym that shows you the integral parts of a smart goal.
SMART Goals
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A - Attainable
R – Relevan
T – Time Bound
Lets take a look at each of these essential building blocks individually:
-
Specific
To make a goal specific we have to look at the 5 ‘W’s
Why?
What?
Where?
When?
Why?
There is more chance of you being motivated by a goal that is specific as it gives you steps to achieve them not just a pie in the sky statement.
Lets look at the first of our dumb goals:
I will make more money than last year from my blog
A SMART version of this goal would be:
I will make an extra $100 a month from my blog through direct sales, affiliate promotion and Google Adsense
Now you have set a specific amount you will make which allows you to track your progress as well as the way you aim to achieve it.
-
Measurable
You have to make sure that you can measure your goals to make sure that you have reached them, or just to keep tabs on how you are traveling with them.
If you cannot measure your goal, you cannot manage your goal
To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as……How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?
-
Attainable
The reason I threw in the following dumb goal:
I will make a million dollars online next year
Is because I see a lot of new bloggers make statements like this – maybe not as big, but that is just it. They just pluck a number out of the air that they would like to make but we all know there is no chance that they will make it. Not because they can’t, but because of they way they have set their goal.
If you can explain how you will make the million dollars they maybe I will give you the benefit of the doubt. If you can make it specific and measurable, then maybeI will think you have a small chance of making it. Just don’t set goals that just pluck a figure out of the air just for the sake of having a goal.
-
Relevant
When you are looking at planning your long and short term goals is there a link between the two? Do your goals parallel each other? Make sure each goal is consistent with other goals you have established and fits with your immediate and long-term range plans.
-
Time Bound
It is no use having a specific and attainable goals if you do not give yourself a time frame to complete them within.
I will spend time working on the SEO of my blog
Looking at this goal it doesn’t really motivate you at all. I would change it to something similar to this:
I will write 1 keyword targeted articles and comment at least 2 new blogs each day for the next 30 days
This type of goal is so much easier to attain because each day you can go ‘Ok, I need to write one article and comment at least 2 new blogs each day’ and it gives you something to do to complete your goal. Instead of just an airy statement about spending time on working on your SEO.
So when you start looking at setting goals for 2008, make the SMART choice and set SMART goals!
I just started my goal setting for next year, and you are absolutely right. You must be clear and precise, otherwise you are giving yourself a “weasel clause” that will let you ego off the hook if you fail.
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wow, cool article..
I will have to make some SMART goals for my new year resolution..
Nice article :cool:
We use that SMART acronym in our goal setting for Nursing Care Plan But it is, Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timebound.
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hussien – yea searching google it seems there are a couple of different ways it gets taught.
Awesome post Tom. I didn’t ever know the full form of smart has some meaning in it. Thanks for mentioning.
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This is first post i read regarding new year’s resolution and goals. hope u have set up your goals already. wish you successes!!!
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Great article Tom. I have to make SMART goals for my new year resolution..
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Be Folks – I will be working on mine in the coming days!
Very nice and interesting article indeed! Thanks for sharing this with us Tom :)
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Excellent post! Setting goals and writing them down on paper makes all the difference.Keep the paper visible in front of your computer so it is visible at all times.doing that motivates me to work harder.When it comes to goals of 2009, they are quite realistic I think: Doing more blogging, link building and maybe joining BlogSuccess.Other than that, I will follow my daily schedule which seems to be working pretty well.
great post Tom; you have started to standout.. keep it up.
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Excellent layout Tom. The best “goal setting” post i’ve seen so far (out of lots at the end of a year), as no one really sets it 1 2 3. Thanks!
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No Goals for me.. I’m very unpredictable online as well as in real life.. LOL
that’s a really nice post and i will start making SMART Goals which are achievable by me i dont mind making only one goal too
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I have to admit that I am guilty of every single one of those-especially the fifth :D
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Oh yeah, Tom, how about writing a post to tell us of your goals for 2009 :)
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[...] “Smart Goal Setting for 2009,” author Tom provides us a list and also distinguishes between “SMART” goals and [...]
Setting really big goals is what pushes a person to go further in their life, but if you set a goal too high, it may also push you down when you fail.
-Mike
You are correct. You need to be specif. I like to create my vision boards and a detail of what my goals are.
Hey, I do not want to ask for the Lottery, w/o pointing out that I do NOT want the headaches, dishonesty and end up broke….etc…
Perfect timing for posting this! :)
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[...] you have read my last post: SMART Goal Setting For 2009, where I look at SMART as an anagram that provides you with the keys to creating goals that will [...]
This is awesome. Obviously, most of my goals categorized under dumb. Need this post guidance for my new year target and goal setting. Thanks a bunch for you.
You reminded me about my goals. Thanks for the tips on creating strong well defined goals!
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Its time I get organised with my goals for 2009
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Thank you – your guide on Smart goals will me helpful to me .
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It is good to see that this post has motivated a lot of you to start setting goals for 2009!
Nice way to make a more targeted and measured goal. Atleast on the implementation front, your article is very helpful, i will surely remember your points the next time i set a goal for myself,
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Very helpful post; I need to be better about this. I have so many projects that I juggle, I end up setting very general long term goals, but day to day I have to focus on very specific ones for that day only. I think some of the examples you use will help me set much more useful daily goals (I particularly like that “post a comment on two new blogs a day” suggestion. Don’t think I can do that EVERY day, but one step at a time. This is comment #1! ;)
BB,
Vivienne
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I’ve been using Dax Moy’s MAGIC Hundred and it’s great!
I’ve achieved more of my goals in the last 30 days than
I did all last year. It’s simple, straightforward, easy
to read and VERY easy to follow.
You should check it out at http://www.themagichundred.com“
SMART is a great system! Nice post.
-Ben
[...] am a massive believer in setting SMART Goals, and I have set a short list of things that I want to have achieved by the end of November (I will [...]
almost a year has passed since this post was published, its now time to see how many of our goals are achieved…
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The dumb goals are just temporary , breaking a goal down and doing research on how to get it done is a SMART goal. Great Post