Make your goals time-bound if you want to successfully reach your goals. Never forget that the best goals are SMART. So, as you go about setting goals keep this in mind.
It is thrilling to know your goals are SMART because they are time-bound. For the past several weeks, we have been writing about having SMART goals. This means we have goals that are:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time-Bound
This article is about making our goals time-bound. It is important for us to set time limits and schedule our goals because no matter how specific, measurable, attainable and realistic our goals are, we will never achieve them satisfactorily unless we set a time limit for success.
Let’s Look at 2 Goals
1. I want to prepare to run the Philadelphia Marathon, so I will train.
2. I want to successfully run in the Philadelphia Marathon in November of 2022 so I have dedicated the next 20 weeks to a training program that gradually increases my strength and endurance.
Let’s Make them Time-Bound
Look at goal number one. It is a plan, but it is not a SMART goal. It is missing several elements that make a goal SMART. We do not know when the race is that this person wants to train for, so we are missing the specifics. We do not know the person’s current level of fitness so we are unable to determine if this goal is attainable or realistic. There are no time limits so there is no way of knowing when the goal will be finished.
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Now, let’s look at goal number two. It is specific, this person has listed a specific date and place for the race to be run. The goal is measurable in many ways, a marathon is 26 miles, this marathon is taking place in November of 2012 and a specified training period has been listed. It is attainable, a properly trained human being is able to run a marathon after completing a training program of increasing intensity. The goal is realistic because if the plan described is followed, a person would be able to run the Philadelphia Marathon in November of 2022. Finally, the goal is time-bound. A clear date for completion has been listed so failure or success by a date certain is assured. Goal number two is a SMART goal.
It is not easy to create SMART goals. It is hard work. In the end, it is very much worth the effort it took to go from dream to plan to accomplishment. So the question for you this Thrilling Thursday is are you putting time boundaries on your goals to make them SMART?
