SMART goals or unrealistic ones?

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I hope this finds you well and inspired to look at your goal list in an entirely different way.
 
As you know, yesterday we spoke about wishy washy vague statements that we tend to have on our desired lists. A quick question - did you review any of the statements that you had on your list???? A minor point - and I know I've said this before, but how on earth do you expect to get anything if you don't actually do anything that I or anyone else suggests? Remember a goal without action is merely a dream.
 
But lets take a closer look at unrealistic dreams.
 
I would hazard a guess that most people reading this would have heard about goal setting....and SMART goals in particular. Specific, Measurable, Achieveable , Realistic and Timebound. Unrealistic dreams have one or two components missing.
 
You know what you want - Specific
You know what you want to achieve - Measurable
It may even be Timebound - but as for the rest!!!
 
Let me explain what I mean.
 
Weight loss - a good topic for the silly season. I could say I want to lose 10 kilos by December 25. Specific target, timebound and measurable. But is it achieveable? And is it realistic.
 
No and No.
 
We are in the middle of November, which means we have about 4 weeks to go before Christmas day. With all the will in the world, 10 kilos in 4 weeks - I don't think so. So not only is unrealistic its hardly achieveable. I would be setting myself up for failure.
 
By the way 1-2lbs per week is realistic (BTW - a kilo is 2.2lbs)
 
And that is where most people set themselves up for failure - they have no idea what constitutes a realistic goal.
 

An unrealistic goal is something we say that we want but have no idea how we are going to achieve it. We get totally overwhlemed by the goal and we panic, and everything else shuts down too. For example - If your unrealistic goal is weight related I can almost guarantee that you'll eat everything that isn't nailed down. Money is another emotive issue. How many of you have "I want a million dollars" on your list. Do you have any idea of how you are going to get your million bucks? Or are you waiting for Aunt Doris to pop her clogs. Let me put it this way, Aunt Doris is more likely to leave her fortune to the cats, so you have to have a better plan than that.

 
Unrealistic - I want a million dollars and I am going to win the lottery next week and realise my dream, or wait for Aunt Doris to pop her clogs....hmm where did I put the arsenic anyway?
 
Realistic - I want a million dollars in the bank -
 
I am going to buy several investment properties, keep them for a year (you pay less Capital Gains Tax) and sell them on. A few years of buying a selling and I will realise my goal.
 
I am going to invest the money I would have invested in the lottery, I will buy shares instead...ok it may take me a few years but sooner rather than later, I will get my million, especially if those insider tips come off (no, I did not say that)....
 
I will invest my money in a high interest saving account. The compound interest over time will allow me to reach my goal.
 
OK OK it's hardly exciting, nor did I say it would be a quick process, but you will get there.
 
Of course you could lie, cheat and steal your way to a million dollars, but then you should also factor in some down time  as you contemplate your dream home from a slightly smaller abode.
 
Remember - small steps are not a bad thing.....
 
Be SMART - but more importantly - be realistic.
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