Smart Goal Tips

             

I had always heard about S.M.A.R.T. goals but I wasn't sure what that actually meant. I struggled with setting goals and then actually accomplishing them. I would set several New Year's resolutions each December, but I can promise you by January 31st, I couldn't remember what they were.

I started working at various companies and had to actually set S.M.A.R.T goals in order to get a decent raise. I had to find things that would stimulate my growth in my current position, while helping the company prosper. I managed to do it, but I disliked it and always relied on someone else to tell me what my goals should be. I faked it pretty well and got my raises.

Now, I have my own business and I set S.M.A.R.T goals for myself; ones that I create and ones that I don't want to fake my way through. If you're like me and need help knowing what S.M.A.R.T goals are, here's a breakdown:

SPECIFIC: You must bring clarity to what you what to accomplish by being as specific as possible:

Wrong Example: I will save more money this year 

Right Example: I will save $5,000 by December 31st

MEASURABLE: This is where you can truly measure whether or not you hit a goal.

Wrong Example: I will lose weight 

Right Example: I will weigh 125 lbs. by May 15th current weight: 130 lbs.

ACTION ORIENTED: Use action verbs when setting goals such as: reduce, save, earn, exercise, invest, enroll, run, etc.

Wrong Example: I will be more consistent with exercise 

Right example: I will exercise five days a week

REALISTIC: If your goals are too big, you are setting yourself up for failure. I encourage you to set goals that stretch you and cause you to grow, but are also attainable.

Wrong Example: I will save $50,000 by May 31st (from my salary of $70,000 per year) 

Right Example: I will save 10% of my current salary = $7,000 by May 31st

TIMELINE: Deadlines are motivating. Always establish a "due" date. It keeps you motivated to achieve the goal you've set. The most productive day of the year is the day before vacation. Why? There's a deadline. The quickest way to clear your house is to invite company over. Why? There's a deadline.

Wrong Example: I will write my book 

Right Example: I will finish my manuscript by September 30th

It may take some time to set your S.M.A.R.T goals and start accomplishing them, but if you want your business to succeed, it is something you must learn to do!

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This Article Is Where The Hard To Do Becomes The Really Easy

Life is as hard as we feel it is, and it is a funny thing, but, to quote and paraphrase Dennis The Menace from the old cartoon strip: "Why do dumb things seem so smart while you are doing them?" Dumb things seem smart, because from an awkward glance they look easier than the more intelligent path that does not try to cheat honesty. Sure, that is a simple, but loaded answer that will be explained in this article: I am not against wanting to have life easy, happy and feeling good. When you have to cheat, skip over things, and fear genuine honesty, reality and morality because it is too hard, "nasty", "bloody and realistic, that is the time for the "check up from the neck up", because reality cannot be skipped over, it has to be dealt with or come back worse later. Some will know instantly what I mean by all this, some will not and will wince at the reality of it all and file it under "I want to go back to sleep and deal with it in three hours", but, I say again with more emphasis: Life is as hard as we feel it is.

The real truth about all situations bad or good is that we cannot avoid reality and if we try, it will come back later even worse or more horrible.

The people that really live in the big fantasy world think that they can cheat reality even and put on a big show like they are the best at living in it when they are the worst at dealing with it. I think of lawmakers putting a "band aid law" on global warming and smog covering the earth, saying that it does not exist and we will deal with it in thirty years as a chief example. I think of the people who say everything is fine now and the problem is not that big now, and that business as usual now, will not have consequences ever that are bad. I think of the heroin junkie in Ohio or Idaho that loses their arm to infection and then their lives because they want to cheat unhappiness with a consistent "high". I think of how "dumb things seem so smart while you are doing them", and leaders, news media people, and professional cheaters lie to us daily while looking dynamic and pushing all the problems lazily down the road to snowball on us later and collapse everything ultimately, and leave a message like "it is not our problem, we died a long time ago when we did that stuff".

But, since I brought up the big problems, now I will bring up what I think, believe and understand are the big answers: Face reality, deal with what needs to be dealt with genuinely and live a life that faces things honestly. I can hear some of you read this and go it is too simple. But, is not honesty that simple? I mean, above, I mentioned all of the genuinely hard work equations and Rube Goldberg style cartoon justifications for dishonesty and cheating that are genuinely hard on everything ultimately.

My own story: I am not perfect or even great, I wake up and look at things too honestly and realistically to live normally in this society. I read too much, I think too much, and worst of all, I cannot lie good like most people do to maintain that unrealistic "I am perfect" thing. I just went to my psychiatrist today, and I have a therapist appointment a little while after that. My real disability in my opinion is, I am too open, realistic and I am a horrible liar to myself and everyone else. I am too honest about it all. If I could pull it all together like Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Ben Carson, The Kennedy family, The Bush family, and the rest of their perfect and elite families, I would not only fit in, but excel, because I would be at the top of the food chain that "does not deal with it". But my people and my family, especially my Fraternal side or my Dad Joe gave me a gift, or to those elites I mentioned, I got a curse, I look at things too honestly, realistically and genuinely with a natural conscience there. Sadly, everybody wants to be dazzled by the fantasy, not deal with reality. What do you think was the secret of the success of all those 1980s evening drama shows like Dynasty and all that came after them anyway? It was and is the fantasy. Reality is "disgusting". But sell them a fantasy and "the dumb always seems smart", but in reality only reality can be reality.

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