Any
good plan starts with goals. The goals must be clear, realistic and have a definite deadline.
Use the SMART
Model when setting goals. Your goals should be
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Timely
So you have made up your mind and you are ready to take your career
to the next level. You have a plan and have set your goals. But are they SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable,
Relevant, Timely.
Specific - In order to maximize your time, set your
goals as specific as possible. (I want to meet 10 new people this week)
Measurable - How will you know if you're making progress, if you don't have measurement tool. Set benchmarks that
mark your path. (My goal is to meet 20 new investment brokers by the end of the year. My
benchmark is to make contact with five Investment brokers by October 30th)
Achievable - Set realistic goals that are achievable. It is better to first plan to get promotion with the next six months,
than to set a goal to be the next company president. Don't get me wrong, Long term goals are fine, but the success
of short goals will keep you motivated. (I will acquire three new accounts this month)
Relevant - Are your goals relevant? How do they relate to your skills, your work environment, or your social
environment? (Since my goal is gain resource information regarding Latino-Americans, I will attend
the Latino conference this fall)
Timely - Ensure your goals are timely. Investing
in bottled water may have been timely ten years ago, but perhaps not the best investment at this time. Your goals should
be in line for what is going on now. (I have a youth organization so I will attend youth)
mentoring workshops)
Finally,
do it now. Don't wait--Set your goals for today, next week and next month. Make them long term and short term.
Your short term goals are the building blocks of success.
Set goals. Establish activities
to reach those goals. Define what resources are needed. Develop benchmarks.
Evaluate your progress.
