Always set up goals and standards for yourself!

At Scarlet Management Group, we believe that goal setting not only allows you to take control of your life's direction; it also provides you a benchmark for determining whether you are actually succeeding.

It is a process that starts with careful consideration of what you want to achieve, and ends with a lot of hard work to actually do it. In between there are some very well defined steps that transcend the specifics of each goal.

Here are some steps on how to get what you want:

1. Figure out the goals you want to achieve

When you set goals for yourself, it is important that they motivate you. This means making sure that they are important to you, and that there is value in achieving them. If you have little interest in the outcome, or they are irrelevant given the larger picture, then the chances of you putting in the work to make them happen are slim. Motivation is key to achieving goals.

2. Set SMART Goals

For goals to be powerful, they should be designed to be SMART. The acronym SMART stands for:

• Specific - Your goal must be clear and well defined. Vague or generalized goals are unhelpful because they don't provide sufficient direction. Make it as easy as you can to get where you want to go by defining precisely where you want to end up.
• Measurable - Include precise amounts, dates, and so on in your goals so you can measure your degree of success. Without a way to measure your success you miss out on the celebration that comes with knowing you have actually achieved something.
• Attainable - Although it is important to challenge yourself, make sure that it's possible to achieve the goals you set. If you set a goal that you have no hope of achieving, you will only demoralize yourself and ruin your confidence.
• Revisable - Goals must be looked at on a regular basis. Sometimes life changes our time and resources; thus, our progress on our goals needs to be re-evaluated. If the goal is no longer reasonable, ask why. Were you unrealistic or have circumstances changed? Have you completed your task already or did you not challenge yourself enough? Goals are not set in stone; they are designed to maximize your success. If needed, revise, rewrite and recast your goals accordingly.
• Timely - Goals must have a deadline. Again, this means that you know when you can celebrate success. When you are working on a deadline, your sense of urgency increases and achievement will come that much quicker.

3. Develop Action Steps

This step is often missed in the process of goal setting. You get so focused on the outcome that you forget to plan all of the steps that are needed along the way. By writing out the individual steps, and then crossing each one off as you complete it, you'll realize that you are making progress towards your ultimate goal. This is especially important if your goal is big and demanding, or long-term.

4. Review

Remember, goal setting is an ongoing activity not just a means to an end. Build in reminders to keep yourself on track, and make regular time-slots available to review your goals. Your end destination may remain quite similar over the long term, but the action plan you set for yourself along the way can change significantly.

Set yourself up for success!