Get Smart! The clock is ticking...




S.M.A.R.T. is an acrostic for setting better goals – meaning, goals we actually have a chance of achieving. As Women on Writing wrote, waiting until New Year to set goals is silly. It’s never too early or late to set goals. Let’s face it – procrastination is an epidemic. Leaves us feeling guilty, stressed, and unfulfilled. Our reasons for procrastinating are various and sundry, and article upon article has been written about fear of success, fear of failure, poor organization, time management,  and the list goes on and on. For now, though, putting the excuses aside, our goal is simply setting smart goals in the first place. Who knows? This could alleviate the need for some of those excuses.

In fact, here’s a bit of trivia to help motivate and encourage you. The number 12 is a symbol of completion. Something will be completed or perfected, and this is the year to accomplish it. So whether you’re on-track (it’s April, so that would be at least a quarter of the way toward reaching your goal by the year’s end), or haven’t taken the first step toward your goal (maybe you’ve written it down…or not), the following articles will help save you some time by focusing your efforts or getting you off to a good start. We all have goals – some major, others not so much, but the key is to stop dreaming about them (although dreaming is good, too) and start working toward them, no matter what time of year.

To increase the chance of reaching goals, they should be :

S – Specific and significant

M – Measurable and meaningful

A – Attainable and action-oriented

R – Relevant and rewarding

T – Time-bound and trackable

Just for fun, one of my diva sisters has some great deals on her new release! Come back & get these goal setting sites later.
http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html - tips to improve goal-setting




Comments

Lisabet Sarai said…
Excellent advice!

I think the main problem many writers have with goals is making them too grand.

However - it's also important for an author to be willing to detour from the path he or she has mapped out, when inspiration strikes. Being too rigid about one's plans can stifle creativity.

~ Lisabet

"Imagination is the ultimate aphrodisiac."

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Dariel Raye said…
Very true. My favorite line in the classic movie, "Flashdance" is: "You give up your dream, you die." I think sometimes we give up on our dreams because we allow too much time to pass without goals. A dream is nothing without a plan, and a plan is nothing without goals.