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Your Creative Well is the guide that will help you unlock your...
I don't quite remember it like it was yesterday, but the memory still sticks with me.
I was in seventh grade and I had just transferred to a new school. Not only did I have to acclimate to the new setting and make new friends, the curriculum at this particular school was much more challenging.
I was only a few months in and my grades were already beginning to slip. I couldn't keep myself motivated to stay on top of what seemed to be an ever-growing pile of assignments.
Instead of slipping under as I had in previous years, I had a chance to reinvent myself. I didn't have to be the mediocre student anymore. I had a chance to start off strong. But I had a problem: I couldn't stay motivated to do it day after day.
After class one day, I sought out council from my history teacher Mr. Martin. I told him how I wanted to do well in school and how I wanted to bring home good grades, but that I couldn't keep myself motivated to do it. He smiled and said: "Well, you've got to make goals for yourself."
Looking back, this is one of the best little nuggets of advice I received in school that year. I should have asked follow up questions like: 'How do you set a goal?' or 'What makes one goal better than another?' It took me a while longer to figure these things out.
Hopefully, I can save you some of that grief right here. Whether you're a small business owner, a student or just someone who's trying to learn a new hobby, learning how to set goals is critical for your success. Before you go out and buy a new self-help book, read the following and try it out.
Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals
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The SMART method is one of my favorites. It looks like this:
S - Specific
You want you goals to be definable. If you can't define your goal, you won't be able to tell what achieving that goal looks like. If you want to save more money, don't make your goal: 'save more money.' Make it 'Save $10,000.' Once you define your goal with a specific objective, your target stops moving and you can finally reach it.
M - Measurable
You can't tell how close you are to achieving your goals unless you have some way to measure your progress. Your goal to save $10,000 can easily be measured by opening a savings account where you deposit a bit of money at a time. Every time you look at your bank statement, you can see a measure of your accomplishment.
A - Achievable
One of the biggest mistakes we can make when setting goals for ourselves is setting the bar too high. Making your money saving goal 'Save $10,000,000,000' when you earn minimum wage will put you in the position to fail. Don't set yourself up for failure, you'll deter yourself from trying.
R - Realistic
This is very closely related to Achievable. The way they differ is this: Becoming President of the United States of America is achievable, but it's not very realistic. Keep your goals realistic within the constraints of your particular situation, then use those goals as a stepping stone to your next big achievement. Set a goal to join your city council before setting a goal to become president.
