Would you drive across the country from New York to San Francisco without a map or any planning? Would you get in your car, turn the key, and expect to arrive in California without preparation? Would you go on any trip without any planning? Of course not. If you have goals, you need a plan. To maximize your success in reaching your goals, make them more than a mere wish list. Create a plan for SMART goals. To experience a successful trip and arrive at your destination, you must plan and prepare. The same is true for your goals.

Setting goals is a powerful process for success. The process of setting goals provides direction and insight. Establishing goals helps you choose where you want to go in your life. Whether you have weight loss goals, personal, or professional goals, making a plan is essential for you to achieve them. It is not enough to think about them, floating around in your head without any foundation. You need to write them down and develop a plan with strategies for success in reaching your goals.

Create categories to organize your goals. Examples of categories are Personal, Career, Education, Family, Health/Fitness, Financial, and Self Improvement. Next, list your goals in the respective categories.

In creating your goals, make them S.M.A.R.T!

S=Specific, M=Measurable, A=Attainable, R=Realistic, T=Timeframe.

SPECIFIC - A specific goal rather than a general, broad goal. A general goal would be to "Exercise." A specific goal would be "Join a gym and workout three days a week." Another example of a general goal would be "Drink water." A specific goal would be "Drink 64 ounces of water throughout the day." List the goal in detail. List the goal in ways that you can check off the steps you're taking in order to accomplish it.

MEASURABLE - Create milestones for measuring your progress toward the accomplishment of each goal. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, remain focused, reach your target dates, and motivate you to reach your goal. By making it measurable, you have a sense of accomplishment as you move forward in your progress. An example is to "Join a gym and workout three days a week" by indicating on your calendar the three days you worked out. Another example is to keep track daily of each eight ounce glass of water you drink. If your goal is to eat three meals a day and two planned snacks, either list the foods in your eating for that day or check off "Meal 1, Meal 2, Meal 3, Snack 1, Snack 2." One good day of achieving your daily success creates momentum for the next day and the next, etc.

ATTAINABLE - Make sure that your goals are attainable so you can determine ways to achieve them. If a goal is attainable, once you define the goals and details to get there, you start to develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and the steps you need to take to obtain success to reach your goals. If your goals are unrealistic or overwhelming, you won't be excited and enthusiastic to begin to accomplish them. If your goals are attainable, you move closer and closer to accomplish your desired goal outcome. A cycle of momentum and success will be created.

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