Set SMART goals.

Set SMART goals.

You may have heard of these already, but it’s always useful to have a refresher. If you haven’t heard about this acronym, here’s what it stands for:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time bound

Specific. Your goals need to be as specific as possible,  because otherwise they won’t give you enough direction to follow through. According to  American Psychological Association, setting specific goals led to a higher performance 90 percent of the time for companies studied. Goals are like a lamp lighting the way-- the brighter the light, the clearer the road ahead.

If you don’t have clearly defined goals, you procrastinate. Think about the results you want to achieve -- what activities do you need to do for the results?”

Measurable. Give yourself realistic deadlines to finish the task at hand. Adding specific dates, amounts, etc., makes your progress quantifiable. For example, instead of saying “Reduce expenses,” say something like, “Reduce expenses by 10 percent in the next 12 months.” That gives you a fixed amount, a time frame to complete your goal and visualize a finish line.

Attainable. Be honest with yourself.  As  Justin McNally told , "'Increase marketing budget by 50 percent in three months’ sounds like a great goal, but not a very realistic one. If you’re a one-man shop or don’t have the resources to do that, you’ll only end up frustrated." Instead, he said, “Set realistic and manageable goals. Decide what you want to accomplish in a day and stop when you’re done.” 

Relevant. Align your goals with the direction you want your life and career to take. Balancing the alignment between long-term and short-term will give you the focus you’ll need.

Time-bound.  Having a finish line will mean you’ll get to celebrate when you accomplish your goal. Having set deadlines gives you a sense of urgency that is lacking when goals are open ended.