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In this podcast we are going to learn how to create not just SMART goals but SMARTER ones.
It’s the last week of the first month of 2021 and this is when we usually decide whether our new year’s resolution is worth pursuing or purging out from our system. You see, when we make decisions it’s usually because we want to run away from pain or we want to pursue pleasure.
Whatever is our motive behind our action it is clear that we need to adapt to change in order to meet the demands of the future. With this in mind, we need a roadmap where we can navigate around roadblocks to meet our goals.
A wise saying goes, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” But planning without considering these key points to reach our goals can sometimes be overwhelming. In nursing we were taught to base our nursing care plan around the acronym SMART.
Our Goals need to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound. If you were to be asked, “How do you eat an elephant?” – the task sounds so impossible and time consuming that it’s easy to say, “Forget it!”.
But if you know that your goal is non-negotiable, when you know that the pain is worse to stay where you are, compared to the challenges you have to face to meet your goal in order to survive, you will find ways to “eat the elephant” one bite at a time.
So tell me, why change? Why bother to break your own pattern if it’s working? If you manage to stay afloat against the tide, why change strokes? Let me tell you why, because staying afloat alone is not enough to transcend you limits.
If you stop growing, you start dying. It is only by tapping outside your comfort zone that you build muscle. The muscle that would carry you through bigger problems, bigger challenges and bigger opportunities.
If you want bigger opportunities, solve bigger problems. Aim for a brighter future by creating value that meets a timely, pressing need. You have greatness within you. Show it by answering the question, “How can I serve someone today?”
Most often we are willing to do something uncomfortable for others, not so much for ourselves. And to discover that our presence does make a difference to someone’s existence, is to realize our life’s purpose.
So why change in 2021? Here are 3 reasons:
1.) The world is changing everyday. The only constant thing in this world is change. We can only be guided by the lessons we learned in the past. But to face the future, we need to learn to adapt, to pivot and to navigate around the roadblocks in order to reach our goal.
2.) We were never promised a straight path to our dream world. What’s certain is that when we continue to persevere, when we put one foot forward despite the odds, when we focus our energy into creating little wins daily towards our goal, we will get there.
3.) Failure is not an option. We don’t fail even if we don’t hit our mark on the first, second or third shot, as long as we don’t give up trying. There is no failure, we only get SMARTER. If we didn’t reach our goal, it’s time to Evaluate our method and Re-engage our focus.
So for every goal you make, don’t just make it SMART, make it SMARTER. Make it Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound. If your goal does not look like how you perceived it at the appointed time from when you conceived it, add E and R to your system. Evaluate and Re-engage in your process.
Lastly, aim for the goal and don’t let go until you win. Create a vision, write it down, act on it, stay focused, measure your progress and never give up. Even if you feel you are moving too slow, you are still ahead of those who never tried. You have greatness within you. You can do it!
