Getting What You Want By Setting Smart Goals

Do not wait for another day because the future is now. Perhaps you have heard some of the techniques and strategies for accomplishing goals before but oftentimes we have to hear them again. A simple and easy acronym to recall is “smart” goals. These smart goals actually stand for specific, measurable, action-oriented and attainable, realistic and time-specific.


Someone already applied these techniques and methods in becoming a motivational inspirational speaker. These simple tips produce incredible results if you follow and practice them constantly. Whether you aspire to expand your business, take a long awaited vacation, increase and boost your sales, or simply to be more physically fit.

Each person dreams or aspires of attaining success. Try to look at your objectives and dreams daily and jot down those specific steps of action. Keep them in your wallet as a reminder.

1. Specific goals— write down an appropriate affirmation for your every goal on any piece of paper after you jot down all your specific smart goals. You can begin with the words, “I am”. “I am” makes your affirmation positive, personal and in the present tense. Then, insert a feeling positive adverb like, “easily” or “happily”. After that, add an action word or verb. Include a particular year and month for when you will like it to have reached that goal.

2. Measurable goals—you can in fact be as measurable and specific as you can include things like a particular sales goal, a job title promotion, or the number of pounds you want to lose…or gain. Think and write down a specific date. For instance, one of my colleague’s affirmation way back in 2000 was, “I am happily interviewing famous movie stars and celebrities all over Southeast Asia by April 2001.

3. Action-oriented and attainable smart goals. Almost all athletes bound for Olympics do this because they know that it’s effective and it reaps favorable results! At the back of the piece of paper or index card, I spent several minutes each day just writing down some action steps on how I could possibly attain this goal. Then, I imagined or visualized myself taking action and achieving it.

4. Realistic smart goals—for a close friend of mine, it might sound quite unrealistic that one of his objectives was to do business in Hawaii. But, having talked to some motivational and inspirational speakers who conduct conferences in Hawaii, he knew and realized that this was a realistic goal, and have achieved it since.

5. Realistic time frames on goals—my friend knew it was going to take time to prepare and distribute demo videos to speakers’ bureaus, so he gave actually gave himself ample time--10 months to accomplish his objective of becoming a motivational and inspirational speaker. In the end, greater success is highly possible if you practice the steps above and take action on your desired targets.

Then, imagine how it would feel to have already achieved those goals. Well, ultimately goals indeed are nothing without action. As Colleen Kettenhofen said, “Set a specific goal and take action because goals alone are nothing without action.”

Article by: Amy Twain