A Step-By-Step Guide to Setting Goals

1. Specific personal goals need to be just that. Instead of saying "I need to lose ten pounds", your goal should read something like "I need to lose 1 pound a week for ten weeks by following a healthy eating plan and walking 3 miles daily."
 
2. Career goals should also be specific. "I want to be CEO one day" is not a SMART goal. It's a dream. A SMART goal would say, "I am going to study a short online management course and then pitch for a middle management job, as the current incumbent is retiring in 6 months."
 
3. Specific business goals describe what actions will be taken when you launch a new product. Ambiguous, generalised goals will not help your business. A specific goal might say, "I will write one blog about my new product every week and I will send all my current clients a discount voucher if they share this product information on social media."

1. Goals must be measured to assess success. In the case of your weight loss programme, a weekly weigh-in is an easy way to measure success. If it's not working, the goal can be re-evaluated but not pushed into the realm of "never to be realised".
 
2. If you complete your management course and pitch for the job, you will hopefully succeed but, if not, it will give you the confidence to approach another company that will appreciate you.
 
3. You can measure the success of your social media campaign by using metrics to see if your page is getting more traffic, leading to extra sales. Set yourself a short timeline and then decide if your campaign is succeeding. It's better to reassess than plough on blindly.

1. Make sure your goals are attainable. It's pointless planning your daily walk if you know your regular childminder is going into hospital for major surgery. Hoping that you will be able to make a plan, won't cut it. Rather, plan to do an online exercise session while the children are watching the telly or doing their homework.
 
2. On the same note, if you only heard a rumour that the staff member you plan to replace is leaving, you should check your facts before setting that career goal.
 
3. Ensure that your new product will appeal to your client base. If your best seller is skin cream for mature skin, launching bubble-gum scented bath bubbles will not get the social media attention or sales you desire.

Your goals should align with your or your business's beliefs and objectives. 

1. Relevance examines your motivation for setting your goals. If your goal to lose weight comes from a desire to be healthier or feel great, then it's relevant. If it's a knee-jerk reaction to an insulting comment from the lady on the bus, then it's unlikely to be relevant.
 
2. Wanting a promotion within your company should be aligned with your actual desire to move up through company ranks because you have a passion for your career, not just because you want increased status.
 
3. Relevance in promoting your new product should consider consumer requirements for social and environmental sustainability. Your product should be developed to be sustainable into the future, otherwise, it could quickly lose relevance. You should also examine your motivation for introducing a new product. Is it just a whim or have you done your market research?

1. All goals should be achievable within a certain time frame, or they will become stale. If your goal says 10 weeks, then make sure it is 10 weeks and get it out of the way.
 
2. If your goal to get the promotion was 6 months, and 3 years later you are still waiting, you have missed your opportunity. You need to learn to be happy with your current situation or start looking for a better job with another company. 
 
3. Finally, if your product fails to launch and succeed despite your efforts, it's the wrong product. Rather than let it limp along, pull it off your website and re-goal it or develop another more relevant product. A product that's gathering dust on the shelves is not worth holding on to just because your Aunty Betty likes it.