Posts Tagged by goals

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games began on Friday, and I am an ultra-proud Canuck. Normally indifferent to sports, I was excited to see how Vancouver would greet the world and represent the depths and breadths of our country. Thus, I really wanted to watch the opening ceremonies uninterrupted.

 However, this post in not about the Olympics rather it is about being specific in your intentions and goals. Because the universe has a warped sense of humour and if you are not crystal clear…well, read on…

 So Friday…the opening ceremonies are to begin at 8pm CST, an hour after my children are usually tucked into their cozy beds. And my husband, a self-professed Olympi-holic, and I would be able to settle in for the show of the decade…

 Hah!

 My daughter, most likely our rock-climbing Olympian in the making, scaled the side of the couch, miscalculated, and tumbled backward clipping a table with her head on the way down to the hardwood floor. Eeeyouch… ! Instantly dozy, disoriented, and nauseous, followed rapidly by losing consciousness and vomiting.

 Off we went to the Children’s Hospital emergency room where we sat in the waiting room and… you guessed it…watched the opening ceremonies of the 2010 winter games…

 So let this be a lesson to you. BE SPECIFIC. Be clear about what you REALLY want, not something vague and able to be misinterpreted.

 To help you on this quest to clarity and specificity, I’ll teach you a simple goal setting strategy.

 Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals

 S-pecific
 M-easurable
 A-ttainable
 R-ealistic
 T-imely

 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:      Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.

EXAMPLE:    A general goal would be, “Get in shape.” But a specific goal would say, “Join a health club and workout 3 days a week.”

Come back tomorrow for M-easurable. And in the meantime, don’t give the universe any opportunities to foil your plans!