Do you know people who like to “shoot from the hip” or “live for the moment”? They take pride in their lack of goals and plans, almost wearing it as a badge of freedom. However, I suspect if you looked behind that badge, you would find a lack of focus and discipline and an inability to accomplish daily goals.
If that is how you run your life, that’s okay. But, if you have goals, dreams, or achievement in mind, the strategy of “shooting from the hip” is more likely to miss than hit. Additionally, vague and broad objectives such as “I want to make lots of money” or “I would like to be more disciplined spiritually” aren’t likely to get you where you want to go either.
What you need are SPECIFIC goals, plans, and objectives to be able to determine your path to achievement. Having specific goals will motivate you to take action because you will have a clear picture of the goal. Specific objectives give you a framework for you to take tangible, specific action.
If I say, “I would like to grow in my spiritual life, so I will help the needy for one hour a week,” then I can accomplish exactly that because the goal is realistic, specific, and measurable.
Write your specific goals down on paper so you can review them regularly. Goals in writing do not become fuzzy or forgotten. Written SPECIFIC goals allow us to have a laser-like focus when we need to decide what actions to take on a given day to obtain them.
Goals must be measurable. “I want to earn $400 more per month,” or “I want to see some growth in my spiritual life, so I will give 5% of my income to charity,” or “I would like to be a better father, so I plan on spending at least one hour a day playing with my kids,” are all goals that can be measured. Goals that are measurable are ones that can be achieved.
Objectives need to be personal and realistic. Make sure the goals you set are yours. What I mean by that is don’t set goals to make others happy. You must be passionate about your goals for YOUR sake because if the goals aren’t yours, they won’t hold your attention for long.
In addition, your specific objectives must be realistic. I could have a specific goal to play golf on the PGA tour, but believe me, that is not going to happen. Your specific goals have to be attainable to be realistic.
Don’t jump over this point too quickly. I often hear “I want to be a millionaire in 6 months.” Specific yes, but realistic? Depends on a LOT of factors. “I want to weight 100 pounds less in 4 months.” Specific, you bet, but realistic? Probably not. How about “I would like to lose 4 pounds a week”? That’s getting more into the range of difficult, but realistic.
It is essential that your objectives are compatible with each other. Don’t set a goal of building a business, coaching your son’s soccer team, training for a marathon, and getting your MBA all at the same time. You must be realistic in choosing your objectives so that they fit together in your master plan.
Finally, put dates and times on your goals. This instills a sense of urgency and promotes action. Put in “mini-milestones” along the way to make sure you are making adequate progress. If a milestone shows you are behind, then you can adjust intensity to catch up or get ahead.
There are times when “shooting from the hip” is appropriate. However, if you are serious about financial freedom, spiritual fulfillment, and a well-balanced life, “shooting from the hip” is not a plan for success. Having specific, realistic goals with timelines will put you on the path to successful life management.
G. Brent Riggs has over 20 years experience as an author, teacher, mentor and business owner. You can contact him from his main website: http://www.gbrentriggs.com
Tags: achieve, advertising, Ecommerce, goals, MARKETING, online business, promotion, SEO
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