Goals or strategies help you figure out how to implement your vision in practical ways.​ In this post I want to briefly discuss the importance of setting SMART goals. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Your goals should be specific . That means they should answer the questions of what , where , and when. The more specific you are, the more you likely you are to achieve them.

Goals should also be measurable . Can you actually track progress? The goal of losing weight is neither specific nor measurable. On the other hand, “I want to lose 10 pounds by the end of March,” covers both.

Your goals should be achievable . While losing 20 pounds by the end of March may be a worthwhile goal for some, it may be overly ambitious for others. Setting too high a goal and subsequently failing to achieve it can prevent you from setting more goals in the future. It’s important to set goals that stretch you but it’s equally vital that possibility is built into them.

A goal should also be relevant . Ask yourself, “Is it important or world-changing?” My bucket/dream list includes climbing all of Colorado’s 14-ers with my family. It will be nice if we can achieve that dream but it’s not that important or relevant for life success, hence, not one of my goals.

Finally, make sure your goals are time-bound . Do you know when they will be accomplished? If not, you may very well never achieve them.

Your ability to set SMART goals will significantly increase your success in life, taking you where you want to go.