In the fast-paced world of business, it may seem difficult – and frankly unrealistic – to take time away from work to sit down and write a list of goals. The payoff, however, greatly outweighs the burden. If you block out a bit of time from your busy schedule to set goals, not only will you be more successful, you’ll also save yourself a lot of time in the long run.
If you are thinking about what you wanted or intended to accomplish in 2018, here are some tips for writing goals (there’s still time):
1. Be specific. A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal, you must answer the six “W” questions:
Who: Who is involved?
What: What do I want to accomplish?
Where: Identify a location.
When: Establish a time frame.
Which: Identify requirements and constraints.
Why: Cite specific reasons, purposes or benefits of accomplishing the goal.
2. Make your goal measurable. Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set.
3. Make your goal attainable. You can attain almost any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps.
4. Make your goal realistic. To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work.
5. Set a time frame. A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it, there’s no sense of urgency.
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