Risha S.

It has been proven that the most successful people have one thing in common-- good goal setting skills. In my business classes, I learned that good goals are SMART. More...

This stands for:

Specific - What is it you want? i.e. 150 gig mp3 player, Hawaiian spring break vacation, $1000 savings.

Measurable - How will you know if you've achieved your goal?

Attainable - Make a plan.

Realistic - You aren't going to climb Mt. Everest tomorrow without training, but saving $5 in a year is to simple.

Time bound - Set a timeline, without it you'll feel less urgent to complete your task.

Whether you are setting scholastic, professional, or financial goals, using the SMART criteria is a great way to get the outcome you want. Let’s say your goal is to buy a new mp3 player. Just having that goal is a good start, but it doesn’t tell you how you are going to achieve it.

One example of a SMART financial goal is saving $10 per week for the next 20 weeks because in that amount of time you will have saved enough money for an mp3 player.

Try using this type of goal setting in other aspects of your life. I like to write my goals on sticky notes and put them places where I can see them to remember what I am working toward.  Happy goal setting!

Let us know on our facebook page what some of your goals are and how you will achieve them!

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