You are at point A and want to get to point B. Is the distance too far, too many barriers in the way, a wish without a plan?
Effective goal setting can help with breaking a path into steps, and help in taking that first elusive step. After all, each journey, no matter how long or how short, begins with a single step.
Signs of good goal setting can be found in the written statement of the goal itself. Some helpful guidelines to good goal setting can be found in the acronym SMART.
S Specific
Is the goal specific enough to have meaning?
M Measurable
Can progress towards the goal be measured in some useful way?
A Achievable/Attainable/Actionable
Can the goal even be made under the totality of the circumstances at the
points in time under consideration
R Realistic/Relevant/Reachable
If goals are not realistic or on point, you may be setting yourself up for continued
disappointment and all that comes with it.
T Time Bound
Without a time limit, a goal really has no boundaries to getting the job done, which
can beg for the enemy of procrastination to arrive.
With some practice, breaking a large project into a series of SMART goals can become second nature and part of your program management routine. Getting the goals in a written form is quite important, and for those more visually inclined, GANTT Charts can be a useful tool to make your goals SMART, efficient, and move forward with relative ease.
June 2, 2017
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