{"id":2382,"date":"2020-11-08T17:48:54","date_gmt":"2020-11-08T17:48:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=2382"},"modified":"2020-11-08T17:48:54","modified_gmt":"2020-11-08T17:48:54","slug":"how-to-set-smart-goals-for-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2020\/11\/how-to-set-smart-goals-for-success.html","title":{"rendered":"How to Set Smart Goals for Success"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"smart<\/a>
Photo by Markus Winkler from Pexels<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Anyone who has been successful in life will tell you that their success didn\u2019t happen without effort.\u00a0 For example, people aren\u2019t handed their dream jobs on a silver platter.\u00a0 No one loses weight without a diet and exercise plan.\u00a0 Folks simply don\u2019t achieve their dreams by accident.\u00a0 Instead, success is achieved by doing one thing: Setting Smart Goals<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Smart goals are the stepping stones you have to follow toward your dream.\u00a0 They are the steps in the process of achieving any Big Goal.<\/p>\n

We often don\u2019t realize that achieving goals is a process.\u00a0 And that process involves setting and accomplishing smart goals until you get to your desired end result.\u00a0 For example, running a marathon may be your dream.\u00a0 But achieving that dream involves accomplishing smaller, smart goals along the way.\u00a0 So, if you are a runner, your smart goals may be to increase your daily runs by a half mile each week as you work toward race day.<\/p>\n

Moreover, smart goals have to be smart!<\/em>\u00a0 So, if I want to run a marathon, I shouldn\u2019t be trying to bike for 30 miles every Saturday morning.\u00a0 That is an admirable goal.\u00a0 Biking certainly is good exercise.\u00a0 But it isn\u2019t a smart goal<\/em> if my dream is to run a marathon.<\/em>\u00a0 Smart goals are ones that set me on the path to achieve my dream in the most direct manner possible.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, figuring out what are good, smart goals can be a challenge.\u00a0 Below are ways to choose smart goals so that you can get on a guaranteed path to success.<\/p>\n

To Set Smart Goals, Don\u2019t Recreate the Wheel<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There is no dream that you have that someone else hasn\u2019t already accomplished.\u00a0 For instance, if you want to become a lawyer, there are many, many people who already have achieved that goal.\u00a0 Don\u2019t rack your brain trying to figure out the smart goals required to become a lawyer.\u00a0 Instead, find an attorney who you admire, and ask them how they got to where they are now. \u00a0Then use the steps that they took as your smart goals.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t happen to know someone who has achieved your dream, then do some research.\u00a0 Highly successful people love to share their stories about their path to success.\u00a0 Learn how they did it, and use their path to set your own smart goals.<\/p>\n

For example, let\u2019s say your goal is to become a media personality. \u00a0You might look at the journey of Oprah Winfrey.\u00a0 She started out working at a small television station at the age of 19.\u00a0 She then hosted a local talk show.\u00a0 And from there, her career took off!\u00a0 If you want to follow Oprah\u2019s path, your first smart goal might be to try to get a job at a local television station.<\/p>\n

So, when setting goals, realize that you don\u2019t have to recreate the wheel.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to figure the steps to success.\u00a0 Instead, look at the paths that other people have taken.\u00a0 Follow the steps laid out by those who have gone before you.\u00a0 Use those steps to set appropriate smart goals.<\/p>\n

Smart Goals Are Ones That Can Be Accomplished Each Day<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There is no such thing as overnight success.\u00a0 Instead, big dreams are achieved with persistent effort over time.\u00a0 It is a process that requires a lot of patience.\u00a0 As a result, many people get discouraged and give up before they\u2019ve even come close to achieving their dreams.\u00a0 To keep yourself from getting discouraged, set small, daily smart goals for yourself.<\/p>\n

For instance, I approach my writing with small, daily goals.\u00a0 I have goals for writing and for blog promotion each day.\u00a0 Of course, I have Big Dreams for my writing career.\u00a0 But I don\u2019t focus on my big writing goals.\u00a0 Doing so would put me on a fast track to being discouraged.\u00a0 I would become frustrated that my dreams aren\u2019t happening on my <\/em>timetable.<\/p>\n

Instead, my focus each day is to accomplish my small, smart goals for that day.\u00a0 Those goals include doing a certain amount of actual writing each day, and then spending time on Facebook and Pinterest promoting what I have written.<\/p>\n

As they say, \u201cRome was not built in a day.\u201d\u00a0 Nor was any big endeavor.\u00a0 So, don\u2019t expect overnight success.\u00a0 Instead, create smart goals which can be accomplished each day and which incrementally push you toward your big goal.<\/p>\n

Create Daily Goals Support Your Desired End Result<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Smart goals are strategic goals.\u00a0 They are ones that move you closer to your dream on a daily basis.\u00a0 The challenge is that some goals may appear to be getting us closer to our dreams, when in reality we simply are spinning our wheels.<\/p>\n

For example, let\u2019s say that your dream is to learn French as a second language.\u00a0 You can work through textbooks, watch foreign films, and immerse yourself in French culture.\u00a0 But if you don\u2019t practice speaking the language itself, you will not be able to hold even the simplest conversation with a French-speaking person.<\/p>\n

If you truly want to become proficient in French, you have to practice speaking the language.\u00a0 You have to have conversations with French speakers.\u00a0 As a result, if I really want to become good at French, I may need to find a French speaker who is willing to let me practice with them.\u00a0 Or I may need to join a French culture society to meet and speak with other French speakers.<\/p>\n

The key to success is to be highly strategic about the daily goals that we choose.\u00a0 We don\u2019t want to choose time wasters.\u00a0 Instead, we want to choose smart goals that most directly get us to our desired result.<\/p>\n

The only way to achieve success in any endeavor is with Smart Goals.\u00a0 By setting achievable, daily goals that move you down the path toward your Dream, you ensure your ultimate success.\u00a0 Consider using the above approaches to set Smart Goals for yourself and see your greatest dreams come to pass!\u00a0 (To learn about the benefits of setting big goals, click here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Email: meerabelle@meerabelledey.com<\/strong><\/p>\n

To receive my free e-book, “The Confidence Course,” and my weekly newsletter, sign up at meerabelledey.com<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Anyone who has been successful in life will tell you that their success didn\u2019t happen without effort.\u00a0 For example, people aren\u2019t handed their dream jobs on a silver platter.\u00a0 No one loses weight without a diet and exercise plan.\u00a0 Folks simply don\u2019t achieve their dreams by accident.\u00a0 Instead, success is achieved by doing one thing:…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Set Smart Goals for Success - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The only way to achieve success in any endeavor is with Smart Goals.\u00a0 Learn how to set daily smart goals that move you down the path toward your Dream.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Set Smart Goals for Success - 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