It's a proven fact. People who set goals do better in business - and in life - than people who don't.
Now you've probably come across dozens, if not hundreds of tips for setting and achieving goals. There are countless books on the subject, as well as seminars, tapes, CDs and other professional development programs. Some of these are very useful. Others are not.
But there is one very simple formula that has been proven to work in just about any goal setting situation. It's called the SMART formula, an acronym which stands for:
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Action Oriented
R - Realistic
T - Timebound
SMART is based on decades of research by social scientists at Harvard, and is used in training programs at thousands of organizations, including many Fortune 500 companies.
In other words, this formula is a winner!
The great thing about SMART is that it's so easy to use and understand.
In a nutshell, you are more likely to achieve a goal if it is specific, can be tracked or measured, requires action, is realistically attainable, and has a set date for completion.
For example, let's say your goal is to "Keep in touch with your past clients." That is certainly realistic. But is it action-oriented? Possibly. Is it time-bound? No schedule is mentioned. Is it specific? No, it's vague. Break it down and this goal is not really a goal at all. More like wishful thinking.
Let's rewrite it: "I will phone the "A List" clients in my IXACT Contact real estate CRM four times this year." Is this a SMART goal? It certainly is. It's specific, measurable, requires action, realistic, and has a deadline.
Takeaway point. Make sure your goals are SMART. You'll have a much greater chance of achieving them.
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