Goal Setting Coach

Are your goals for SMARTER and CLEAR? Part 2

SMARTER and CLEAR Goals

You may be still trying to finalize your goals. In our last blog, we discussed making your goals SMARTER. The SMART(ER) acronym is more commonly used when setting up goals. A less common acronym that can help you accomplish goals and keep you on track is CLEAR. You want to make your goals SMARTER and CLEAR.

CLEAR stands for Collaborative, Limited in scope and duration, Emotionally Connected, Actions, Reevaluated. Let’s take a deeper look.

Collaborative–Write down people you can share this goal with, maybe it’s an accountability partners, someone who can push you, someone who can be your cheerleader. Or if you have a team of people you work with make sure you are including and collaborating on goals with them.

Limited-in scope and duration. Make sure you have a scope of the goal and a duration-this is similar to time bound and achievable. This is so important for goals we need to revisit it, make sure there is a deadline attached to the goal, break it down if you need to. If your goal isn’t achievable, you’ll feel it right away and abandon it quickly. Make sure it’s something you can actually work towards. Get out the calculator, do the math, figure out the time and the cost that will help you to be more realistic.

Emotionally Connected–Look for what is overlying the goal. What is it that you want to get from it? Get down to the why?

*I want to be healthier, why, because I want to be around for my kids, why, because I love my family.*

*I want to start a business, why? because I don’t want to be tied to a desk, why? because I want to get out of the office, why? because I want to create my own schedule, why? because I want to have freedom.*

Emotional connection makes all the difference. It may take lots of reflection, getting down to the core feelings that connect you to the goal, the ones that get you really excited.

Action-Goals are great but it’s the smaller actions that get you to achieving that goal. Take the time to write down what the actions you need to accomplish to make it happen. Make sure those actions have a verb.

*I will expand my networking connections by 25 people by 12/31/16 by meeting individually with two people from the 15 networking events I attend.*

Revise-So maybe you get halfway through the year and you’ve come really close to meeting your goals already. Great! Now you can revise them and up the ante. Maybe you’re not even close, you can make changes so that they can be achieved. Maybe you’ve reached them and need to raise the bar higher.

If you haven’t set goals for 2016, join me at the Phoenix Public Library on January 27 at 6pm for a workshop on Setting Goals That Work-Turning your vision into reality by setting goals that will motivate you to succeed. Learn ways you can develop goals for your career and business. RSVP http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/hive/calendar

 

Margo Crawford is a Productivity Consultant and Professional Organizer with Wave Productivity. She works with entrepreneurs, small business owners and business professionals to help them get more focused, organized and productive in their workplace. If you want to set goals and achieve them call 602-677-8275 or email [email protected]