SMARTER Goals

You probably know the S.M.A.R.T. acronym for the specific criteria required for goal setting. Well I wasn't all that happy with it and I have made some changes to it for you to consider. Here they are:




You don't want just S.M.A.R.T. goals, NO what you need are S.M.A.R.T.E.R goals!


This is not the entire presentation I give on this "updated" model of SMART. I'll give you the basics and then can you add to each of them and make it your own.






SPECIFIC:
Be specific about what you want. If you are too vague or general in describing your goal you are diluting your ability to achieve it. Be very detailed about what you want and ask questions like: (some may be more relevant than others)

• What exactly do you want?
• When exactly do you want it?
• What does it look like, sound like & feel like?
• How much of it do you want?
• How will you know when you have achieved it?
• How will you fully describe this in see, hear observe language?

When being specific I recommend that you ensure that your description of what you want is not just in detail but also include sensory based wording i.e. what will you see? what will you hear? How will you know you have achieved your goal? - specifically using visual, auditory and observable wording to describe this.

MEANINGFUL:

When your goal is meaningful you most certainly will achieve it. You need to know "why?" you want it and be conscious of the meaning you have placed on it - daily. To put more passion in your pursuit you need to ask the question "...why do I want this?" You need to ask it 8-12 times and be generous with your answers. Take this seriously. What will you say if asked to speak for 7 minutes on the reason why you are committing yourself to achieveing this goal?

Once you have all your answers written down, focus on the 3 most important ones on your list and visualise these 3 in detail. Absorb yourself in them and commit to being aware of them daily and especially when the going gets tough. Visualise yourself having difficulties in achieving your goal and remind yourself at that time of the 3 key resons why you want to achieve your goal. The 3 reasons will become a driving force that bolsters your determination to overcome any and all setbacks that you may face along the way.

When your goal is full of meaning - you will not be stopped!

ATTITUDE: Your attitude is a priority when it comes to ensuring your success when goal setting.

• How resilient will you need to be?
• How disciplined do you need to be?
• What is the specific attitude that you need to ensure you get what you want?
• What state of mind do you need to be successful?
  

These questions need to be answered and you need to consider both the best and worst case scenrio's and have the attitude that will get you through any and all difficulties that you may face. Having the ability for you to access the right attitude may be beyond you as this is a specialist field. What I suggest, if you do not know how to do this, then seek out a Neuro Semantic Meta-Coach or an NS Trainer. They'll get this sorted for you - easily. Remember, attitude is everything, when it comes to getting what you want.

RESOURCES: To succeed it is highly likely you'll need support. This may require financial, personal, intellectual support. It may be as complex as an extensive marketing and business plan or as simple as calling a friend. These resources may be either internal resources (attitude and mindset) or external resources (money, car, shoes etc...). Your list of resources needs to be well researched and tested, so that you will have all that you need, to achieve your goal.

What do you need so you can achieve your goal?

What assistance do you need?

Where will you go to get help?

What help do you need?

TIME: Your goal will need to be time bound. The goal needs to have both a start and stop dates.You'll need both short and longer sequenced time frames. This will let you know whether you are on target to achieve your goal.

• When will you start?


• What are shorter timeframes of achievement that you'll review your progress?


• When will you have achieved key milestones along the way?


• When will you achieve your end desired goal?


• How long will this take you?

Another thing to consider is whether it is timely now to begin or would be better to wait for a time in the very near future. This addresses seasonal demands, preparedness time constraints and the need to align with other time frames that may be out of your control. i.e. a goal of learning to ski may not be possible until the winter months.

ECOLOGY This is a step that is often overlooked. In all your zest to work towards your goal you miss considering what could go wrong and whether there is the possibility that achieveing your goal, could negatively impact you. Take time to think this through.

What could go wrong?

• What danger is there?
• 
  
  What is out of my control and how will address that?
• 
  
  Am I prepared for worse case scenarios?

Your answers here could reveal that you need to address with resources some additional points. If that is the case, revisit the other categories of SMART. In doing so, you will have a more robust plan to maximise your success.

RESET & REVIEW: Set specific times where you will review your progress.

• Is my plan working?
• What is and what is not working?
• What changes need to be made?
• What is relevant and what is not?
• Am I on time or am I ahead of time?

Reviews are valuable to ensure consistant progress takes place and also is a must for you once you have achieved your goal. At the end of a goal reset new goals. I have found as you may also, that it is the pursuit of a goal that makes life rewarding not the attainment of it.

The SMARTER formula is a simplistic yet valuable goal setting formula. It is not what I consider a well rounded and complete personal success model. But, it does have a number of the key points necessary for you to achieve what you want. Do read my earlier article on what they didn't tell you about goal setting.

I hope this helps in giving you a base from which to set your personal goals from. I will be offering challenging views of what is consdiered necessary criteria in goal setting found in NLP and Neuro Semantic goal setting known as a Well formed Outcome. Revist later this month for that info.

Snoopy - More Onto It Than YOU

The cartoon of Snoopy reads as follows:

"Sometimes when I get up in the morning I feel very peculiar".

"I feel like I've just got to bite a cat! I feel like if I don't bite a cat before sundown, I'll go crazy!!"

"But then I just take a deep breath and forget about it".

"That's what is known as real maturity".

Now. Let's talk about you...

Ever woke up in the morning and was aware that you felt peculiar but wasn't sure of what it is that's causing it? And then, as the day progressed, you found yourself being "shitty" with those who ventured across your path throughout the day. It's possible you didn't even realise that you were peculiar and yet felt, that if any one steps out of line today, you are going to "bite" them, for sure!

How aware are you of the mood you wake up in? How aware are you of the state or attitude you carry with you throughout your day? Few people I meet are actually aware of their mood and show a complete lack of maturity in their willingness to manage them better. (moods is what I'm talking about!) These people certainly do not have the maturity, that Snoopy speaks of in the Peanuts cartoon above.

Your ability to know the state of mind you are in and your ability to positively change your mood is in deed a must have life-skill and a powerful demonstration of personal mastery. The cost to yourself and those around you is huge, when you decide that you will "... bite a cat before sundown...".

An Example

When I deliver training I meet thousands of people each year. Those attending may be present in a workshop for as little as a few hours, or as long as a number of consecutive days. It's a skill I have as a trainer, to quickly identify the person or people who have woken up wanting to "...bite a cat". And in this case it's me they want to bite or the content, that they want to bite into and tear apart. These people are typically unable to "...take a deep breath and forget about it" as Snoopy is able to. Instead, these trainees remain in the same mood for the entire training session and miss the life changing effect that others in the same room are experiencing. (sad but true!).

The funniest thing (this is true), is to ask them, at the end of the training, to fill in a feedback form about how they found the training! Do you think they can show their maturity at this time? Or, will they wallow in their peculiar mood and fill the feedback form in, based on their need to "...bite a cat before sundown!" (you know the answer - don't you)

A Critical Skill
Our ability to be aware of our moods and have the ability to change our moods is a must have life skill. Leadership without this skill is dangerous and will cause great expense to the organisation. Parents who are unable to do this will drive their children out of their home when they are old enough to leave, or send their children off to school in tears - all because mum or dad woke up, wanting to "...bite a cat!"

Lovers who do not manage their moods and have the skill of transforming their moods will find the relationship to be difficult and at worst, violent!

How important is it that we learn what Snoopy speaks of?

In my own opinion - it is critical.

Business Deficit

When will businesses learn that emotional management will always result in less personal grievances and performance problems within the work place? When will a Human Resources Department address the need for staff to learn how to manage their emotions, behaviours and communication? When will they (if at all) realise that the Workforce Development Manager or Professional Development & Training Advisor, plays a critical role in providing training to staff that directly addresses this problem, rampant in businesses throughout our country (and likely yours too).

It is more likely that they will not, than they will.

With a corporate focus placed on performance and achieving KPI's, it is more likely that they will maintain the current beat of the drum that has always sounded and continues to drive for increased performance and staff conformity. Leaving the "soft-skills" as an unnecessary part of staff development. As a result of this focus, staff will continue to "bite" one another and the HR Advisers will always be an ambulance at the bottom of the corporate cliff, trying to salvage those who have fallen, due to work colleagues and managers who have no ability to recognise the need to better manage their emotions and preferably, have learnt the skill of how to transform them.

What are the benefits to a business that has this type of approach?

Increased performance and profit, reduced stress and staff attrition, increased staff engagement and a work culture that is distinctly different than the typical, emotionally immature organisation who has a culture where we will "... bite a cat before sundown!".