Got Goals?
Using Julie & Julia as an example of how to set SMART goals
When is the best time to set goals? Many people set goals at the beginning of the year. These are often referred to as New Year's resolutions. By March these goals are mostly a memory.
Spring is another popular time for goal setting. One of the most popular goals is losing that “winter” weight in time for summer sun bathing. I've been guilty of that. And I'll bet you have too.
The problem is that most of us don't actually have a plan. We're going to lose a few pounds. Or we're going to leave our dead-end job. Or we're going to go back to school. Someday.
But we don't take the time to sit down and create a Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic goal. And unless we're losing weight for the high-school reunion, there's usually no Time-frame either. We forget about turning our plan into a SMART goal.
A lot of career folk, use the SMART goals acronym because it's short and easy to remember. Let's look at an example of a SMART goal that worked.
Did you see the movie Julie & Julia? Julie Powell project is a perfect example of a SMART goal in action
Specific: Powell set a specific goal. Not, she would learn French cooking. She would cook her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Measurable: At the end of the project any one could measure her success. Either she cooked all the recipes or she didn't. Easy.
Achievable: Powell's goal was to cook 524 recipes in 365 days, which was a little more than one recipe per day. For someone who already cooked, really cooked, every day it didn't sound unachievable.
Realistic: Powell already was a foodie. She prepared more than “basic “food every day. So for her the goal was realistic. For me, who microwaves frozen vegetables, not so much. .
Time-Framed: Finally, the project would last one year. Not just cook all the recipes in the book, but do it in one year. Part of what kept her going when times got tough was the deadline.
Whatever it is you want to do make sure that you have SMART goals. Go one step further and writer them down. Studies have shown that people who actually write out their goals are more successful.
When is the right time to get started? The truth is there is no “right” time to set your goals. There is only the “right” time for you. Julie Powell started her project the day she was ready.
Is today that day for you?
Additional Reading
About the Author
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Annette Richmond, MA is Founder and CEO of career-intelligence.com. Having changed careers several times, including working as a career coach, she has a unique perspective on career management. When starting career-intelligence.com 10 years ago, her goal was to provide a one-stop online career resource. In addition to running career-intelligence.com, Annette and her partner are launching Career Strategies Conference in May 2012. Visit the conference site for more information. |
