Goals – The Importance and How to Set
Written by Rita Schoolcraft, THINK Educator
Goals are important at every age and life stage. Being intentional about goal-setting gives one a sense of direction, focus, motivation, and accountability. Writing down goals and placing where one can see them daily increases the probability of success. An easy way to set goals is to use the SMART acronym, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely.
Specific – What do I want to accomplish and why? Break goals into tiny, actionable steps. Be very specific with well-defined statements. Do not be vague. Write down why this goal is important, which assists with focus and commitment to the action.
Measurable – How will I measure my progress or successful completion of this goal? If you cannot measure it, then go back and restate your goal in greater detail.
Attainable – Do I have the resources or training to reach this goal? If not, what do I need and how do I get the necessary qualifications?
Realistic – Is my goal reachable, even if it is a stretch? Is it relevant to my life’s purpose?
Timely – Set a definite start date and projected completion date. This instills a sense of urgency. It is acceptable to set milestones along the way to measure if you are staying on track for success.
Share this action plan with a trusted person to help with accountability.
Finally, REVIEW the goal and assess whether there was progress, success, or current relevance.
Update, change, or add goals and keep working hard.
As Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”