Shaping A Successful Future: Inspirational Goal Setting

Have you been following your dreams? It all comes down to your priorities and what you would like to accomplish. To achieve your objectives, careful preparation and evaluation are required to pave the way for your success. But how do you set yourself goals that will inspire you to take action? 

You might have come across SMART goal setting, a highly effective tool to create attainable goals that is used by many large organisations. This system can be improved by adding one further key factor, which has proved very successful: ’I’ for ’inspirational’. Try creating your goals using the SMARTI system!

SMARTI goals are:

S = specific

In order to increase the chance of achieving a goal, it must be clearly defined and specific. Think about your goal carefully and imagine it – if you can visualise it, then with some effort you can achieve it. Details are important, so you might try asking the following questions to get a more specific picture:

• What exactly do you want to accomplish?
• Where will it be accomplished?
• When?
• How?
• Who else is involved?

M = measurable

Your goal also needs to be measurable, so you can see your progress towards achieving it. When you have a plan you can follow that details what steps are required until the goal is completed, your confidence that the goal is achievable will increase. Think about how you will know when you have achieved your goal: what will it feel like? Start with the end in mind and break your goal down into smaller action steps. This way you won’t easily fall into the trap of procrastinating because you have a clear plan of what to do.

A = attainable

Is your goal attainable? Focus on what your goal means to you and what the finish line looks like. By having this sort of practical evidence, you can figure out ways to achieve your goal, develop any traits and skills you need for that and, most importantly, believe that you can attain it.

R = responsible

Ultimately, you are responsible for what happens in your life and therefore it is up to you to do everything in your power to achieve your goals. Think about what lies in your power to change (and what does not). The degree that you become successful is directly proportionate to the amount of responsibility you accept within your life.

T = timed

A goal should be grounded within a time frame with a fixed deadline. This makes a goal real, creates impetus and shows your subconscious that you are serious. Ideally, the time to achieve your goal should not be too far into the future. Long-term goals can be broken down into sub-goals with shorter timescales. As you reach each sub-goal, your long-term goal becomes more achievable.

I = inspirational

It is important to be inspired by your goal because if you are, then nothing will stop you. Consider why you want to achieve a particular goal. An inspirational goal not only benefits yourself but also your close relationships and your wider network of work and family relationships. It’s the motivation that will keep you on track.

These are the general rules behind SMARTI goal setting. What’s next?

Learn how to turn your goals into reality with this eBook:

Your Future: From dream to reality

The eBook offers a step-by-step advice on how to formulate your plans clearly, take action and stay motivated throughout the process towards achieving your goal.