How To Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals For 2010

It is inevitable that come January, most entrepreneurs will begin thinking about what it is they want to accomplish in their business in 2010. They’ll plan their “New Year’s” resolutions and tell themselves they are going to do A, B and C. But savvy Virtual Assistants are thinking about this NOW, so that they can hit the ground running in January and really create results.

Whether you call them resolutions or goals, the point is the same — to clarify what you will accomplish in your business in specific, measurable terms. Perhaps you want to enroll more clients in your business, raise your rates or expand your team. Whatever the end result is that you want to achieve, you need to set a specific goal and then break that goal down into action steps that will bring the desired results to life.

Smart Virtual Assistants set S.M.A.R.T. goals, which means their goals are:

Specific – A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six “W” questions:

* Who: Who is involved?
* What: What do I want to accomplish?
* Where: Identify a location.
* When: Establish a time frame.
* Which: Identify requirements and constraints.
* Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.

Measurable – Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal. To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as……How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?

Attainable – When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals. You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them.

Realistic – To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Some of the hardest jobs you ever accomplished actually seem easy simply because they were a labor of love. Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished.

Timely – A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there’s no sense of urgency. If you want to lose 10 lbs, when do you want to lose it by? “Someday” won’t work. But if you anchor it within a timeframe, “by May 1st”, then you’ve set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.

T can also stand for Tangible – A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing. When your goal is tangible you have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable.

* Source: Gene Donahue – Top Achievement

As you map out the results you want to create in your Virtual Assistant business next year, make sure you’re setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. They’ll be much easier to achieve and working towards them will help you to create BIGGER, BOLDER business than you ever imagined!

What are your S.M.A.R.T. goals for 2010?  Do tell!  You’ll inspire others and will further commit to making them happen because you’ve said them “out loud”.  Please share your thoughts below!