Time for SMART thinking

BY JAMAAL McCOY

When you consciously set and achieve goals for yourself, you naturally have heightened self assurance and greater productivity. By setting SMART (Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Timely) goals, you can track your progress and take pride in your achievements along the way. Notable triumphs substantiate your efforts, boost your confidence, and highlight your progress toward realizing the ultimate end result.

Utilize your “why” to create a big picture of what you desire to accomplish with your life — or what you are determined to accomplish within a specific time period. This big picture will provide you with your large-scale goals. Once identified, divide the large goals into smaller “benchmark” targets that have been condensed and require concentration. Create a detailed, time-specific action plan to complete each “benchmark” on the quest to achieve your goals.

Each goal should be set in the affirmative and expressed in a positive, motivational tone. Your goals should be definitive, detailed, and specific — so that once you have achieved them, there is a measure of contentment in your accomplishment.

Assign priority levels, thus allowing you to focus on each “benchmark” and goal by degree of importance. This will help reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed and distracted by simultaneously attempting to manage multiple goals. Your goals must be written and reviewed often — a written goal has increased validation and impact.

Set realistic goals where you employ the most control and influence. Whenever feasible, recruit an accountability partner to help keep track of your goals and be a source of encouragement and motivation on your journey to achievement.

Once you attain a goal, celebrate the achievement and review the methods used during the process. This analysis will increase your self-confidence and help you set and achieve future goals. Your goals should inherently be your own and not ones set for you by others.

The most effective goals are meaningful to you and not just something others want you to achieve. No one can want it more than you want it yourself. Developing a routine of setting and achieving goals prepares you for a lifetime of success, purpose, drive and personal satisfaction.

In closing, set goals to take control of your life and be the success that you were meant to be. Use your goals to empower yourself, expect more from your life, and create the life of your dreams — DESIGNED BY YOU!

Jamaal McCoy is the General Manager of Findlay Chevrolet. Findlay Chevrolet is the #1 Chevy dealership in Nevada and has received numerous awards — including General Motors Dealer of the Year for four consecutive years, and Time Magazine Dealer of The Year.