Setting goals smart has always been a big part of my life.

Actually, goals are so present in my life that everything I do has to be somehow related to a goal. I always look for patterns, I always set numbers and strategies, I always check how things are going.

Yeah, I’m crazy like that…

And in today’s article, I’m going to share with you a little bit of my craziness because you’re about to get to know 5 of the most important things I look for when it comes to setting goals smart.

1. When setting goals smart, I go for a timeline as long as 3 years

A few years ago, I enrolled myself in a freelancing course and there was this business plan. I’m still using it because of the structure it has.

It is broken down is different timelines:

3-year vision

1-year plan

3-month key actions

Weekly steps

When I set myself a goal, I always have this structure in my mind. It helps me acknowledge the importance of the goal that I’m about to set and, at the same time, it clarifies things for me.

Having such a structure (made of steps, key actions, plan, and vision) helps me adjust the goal and make sure I get the goal-setting process right. I don’t want to have a 1-year vision or a 3-year key action. That would simply be weird and mostly wrong.

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2. The less external help the better

Yes, I believe that asking for help is useful.

But at the same time, I believe that if I do it all by myself, then the growing process that I’m about to experience will be at its maximum potential.

For example, let’s say you want to learn how to build a business. If you’re going to ask for help from the beginning, then you won’t learn as much as you if would have built that business on your own.

It is going to be harder, for sure. But at the same time, you’re going to internalize more information and, eventually, grow better.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t ask for help. I’m saying that you should ask for it when it’s only necessary.

3. Always write when you’re setting goals smart

A goal written down is more likely to be reached.

When I write things down (and I guess this applies to most people out there) I remember things easier. And the more I remember I have to do something, the more I’m likely to act towards that something.

I find it hard to focus on various tasks, especially if it takes longer than 15 minutes. Haha. But being able to remind myself constantly that I have to do something in a specific direction helps me get back on what’s important for me.

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4. Take it as an experiment

Whatever I want to do and whatever my goal may be, I always treat it as an experiment.

If I see it as something that I really have to have, then when I fail I may be disappointed. But if I see it as an experiment, then when I fail I look for the learnings behind the failure.

After all, I care more about the experience I have, not the income from that experience. Because you see, when setting goals, there are two types of income: the one that you are getting when you reach the goal and the one that you are getting when you achieve something with the things you’ve learned.

I’m more interested in the second type of income. And so should you if you want to grow even when you fail.

5. Always measure

When I write an article and post it on my blog, I measure how many people have read my article.

When I go for a run, I measure how much I ran because I have my phone with me.

When I go to the supermarket to buy food, I measure how much money I spend.

Measuring is always about keeping track of your every step so you can adjust the whole strategy to better reach the goal.

And it shouldn’t take too much effort. Just make sure you have a notebook and write your analysis down every day.

With love and optimism,

David

Follow @davidtheoptimist on Instagram