5-Step Easy Process For A Calmer Life
It’s helpful to have a cool, calm + collected process that keeps you on task when you’re aiming to achieve a goal + create a serene life. You have to have confidence in the process you’re using. I started out using SMART goal setting about two decades ago. Okay, possibly showing my age… I’d rather focus on the fact I’m showing my experience. There are times - whether starting out in your career, pivoting or just needing to slow down your life a bit - you need to return to a simpler way of achieving success. Yes, there are other more complex types of goal setting techniques you can use such as the HARD method, which focuses on harder, more challenging goals that are Heartfelt, Animated, Required + Difficult. Hey, some of us are saying if there’s a picture next to that technique, it’s probably my selfie! Personally + professionally, I lean toward this technique when increasing the skills-strengths in high-performing career climbers. But let’s save that technique for another read + learn (or re-learn) a solid calmer approach during this ambiguous time…
SMART goals are less strenuous, but still an excellent first-step for life-long procrastinators or those struggling with tormenting limiting beliefs. Those nagging struggles can reveal fears that can sabotage your next career stepping stone. Are you not able to focus on your goal because you’re afraid of failure or repeating a traumatic negative goal result. This stressful time could be pushing frailties to the surface that you had pushed aside to focus on another, further day.
Fear of failure is listed as one of the main causes of procrastination. The SMART goal method is straight-forward, breaking down steps more easily to help you overcome procrastination from fear or even low energy. Effective goal management that boldly addresses your fears or other negative concerns will motivate you to take that next step. As I mentioned, “I believe the next step you take for the future will determine the quality of your work +life stepping stones.” Each stepping stone should rightly align you toward your purposeful destiny. So what’s it going to be? How will you take the next step? Make your next goal realistic, reasonable + SMART!
Are you working on your 1-yr or 10-yr blended career + life plan? Do you need to manage some pressing deadlines? How can you improve your coping skills + resilience strength? If starting the week without a tasks-to-do plan makes you feel overwhelmed + defeated, goal-setting will keep you calm + relieve stress. You stay motivated while wisely discerning where your focus needs to be. With a smart goal plan, you achieve your heart’s desire no matter how complex it can be to put your foot on the activation gas + get the task or goal started. You can depend on the consistency of taking one step at a time. Not everyone enjoys being overstimulated with multiple communication methods on a daily basis.
Even when you think you don’t know the next step; once you begin to write it out, talk and think it through, the next action reveals itself. Along with it, you gather important details that assist in achieving your goals + dreams by designing your goal blueprint. My GOAL MOMENTUM workbook helps you write your SMART goal step by step. It could be easy to forget a critical step in the excitement of formulating your vision. It’s not unusual to get swept up in the idea of a goal. But goal setting keeps you grounded + gives tangible form to your quality steps. Your smart goal conveys your dream and shows you success can be accomplished. This exercise in achievement will help you move toward your next goal with another fresh process of concrete, actionable steps.
What’s a SMART goal?
Edwin Locke, a pioneer in goal-setting, said “specific and challenging goals led to higher performance than easy goals.” That’s great news because you’re a high-performing leader with high-performing dreams + goals! Your time-sensitive goal can be perplexing but it must be realistically well-thought-out with specific, detailed action steps to keep you motivated. If you’re inspired + determined, you’re roaring to dig-in + triumph. Mr. Locke seemingly felt a SMART goal was no more difficult than no goal-setting commitment at all. I agree. Dipping your toe in a variety of methods will create the most important key to success - ACTION!
SMART is an effective tool used for setting goals. Although there are many alternatives to SMART goal-setting like WOOP or percentage-weight goal setting, the SMART goal technique has been used widely and is still proving effective in getting starter goals accomplished.
I believe when you set your goal, you must be driven to believe it - genuinely buy into it – in order to attain it. The SMARTER goal will be your goal. I’m the guide to help you get there; together we complete a part of your destiny + vision. More importantly, we prove to you, without a doubt, you can succeed when you set your mind to it!
Infographic Source: How to Set Goals and Achieve Them
5 steps to a SMART GOAL: Let’s dig in deeper
The SMART acronym defines this type of goal as a specific goal. For example, it’s great that you want a ‘successful career’ but what does that really mean? Specific questions will help you find great answers to create your SMART goal. Why do you want to have a successful career? What career sector will give you the most success (media, government, education, economy, religion, entertainment, family)? Which career sector (i.e. media) or sub-area (i.e. television broadcasting, film, journalism) aligns with your core values + personal/professional strengths? Who is involved in making your career a success? When do you want to see career success? These pointed questions will help you build the career you believe you were uniquely created for!
A measurable goal is one that motivates you to stay consistent. The goal activation may be challenging but if there’s steady progress, you will be inspired by those constant victories. Again, keeping the reason front + center why you want to be a successful journalist- that gets two work contracts from two top digital agencies in 18 months- will help you maintain unshakable commitment. Your daily process goals are getting you to your outcome goal. These activations may seem tedious but they’re critical to staying unwavering toward your SMART destination. Steve Robbins, Modern Mentor, states “It’s good to track progress every two to three days.”
A goal has a strong chance of being accomplished if you believe you can reach it. Do you believe you can have career success? Is it an achievable goal? Take a personal check-in to prove you’ve got what it takes to accomplish this goal. Are there factors beyond your reasonable control that can prevent you from achieving your career success goal? Do you have the time, resources + support to make career success a reality? Have you achieved a similar goal? Let’s see your goal plan outline…you should have a realistic timetable for a short-term or long-term goal or further segmented into a lifetime, capstone goal, etc.
This should be a realistic goal. Let’s test the waters and your perspective framework. Remember I mentioned this is your goal. I’m your enthusiastic guide that will ensure you have a goal with value + meaning for your destiny that only you can communicate. I can help you identify how to make your SMART goal specific, measurable + with clear benchmarks, but these two steps – achievable + realistic – tie closely to what you perceive to be true. So I’d like to gently touch on limiting beliefs. Using my 5-step Dig In coaching model, we can discuss any beliefs about success that you may feel are constraining you. Why is this career success aligned with who you want to be? If you tried to accomplish this goal before and didn’t succeed, we’d use the DIG IN model to uncover what decisions you made because the earlier career results were not want you wanted. You probably decided to believe something that’s become an obstacle to goal success. I wanted to bring this up because limiting beliefs can impact completing these easy steps to a SMART goal if not addressed.
A realistic goal is relevant to your life. Does a successful career have significant meaning + really matter to your life? What will be different + life-changing when you achieve this goal? If you can see it, imagine it…then it is within your faith level to achieve it.
Last, a time-sensitive goal helps you to stay on track + focused. The visual (or literal) calendar + time management system will exchange dreamy for grounded alertness. A day of absent-minded distractions is okay. We all need mental resets. However, prolonged preoccupations will take you away from the benchmarks you’ve committed to. Ultimately this step can help avoid sabotaging your vision + delaying your career destiny.
If you decide to really dig deeper, take your goal a step further + set regular times a week to check in on progress. A great suggestion would be after your Stillness time. Use my stillness meditation process to kickstart productive check in times. Evaluate consistently every 2-3 days + help keep your goal attainable for a confidently planned work + life objective.
Remember, right now you want a calmer way to take the necessary steps for a fantastic future. Busy will return with an entire new work landscape. Fast-paced lives will resume. If you take needed time to think diphruntly, more creatively, your desired life will be well thought out. Readjustments will come out of rest, not restlessness.
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