Ever see someone who is killing it and wonder what it takes to get there? Not a single person is an overnight success. Pretty much every ‘overnight success’ took a few years, but what about the first few steps? And more importantly, what about those first few goals?

Developing your goals is critical for your own success. Having goals means you will know how to measure your own achievements, and keep yourself accountable. Our pro-tip of the month is to get S.M.A.R.T. with your goals. For more information on activating without getting aimless, take our online course #goals here. 

Before you say yes to an event, a party or a job you should ask yourself: who, what, where, why, and how. Qualifying your goals is the smart thing to do, and here is how:

Specific. Give the who, why, and how right away with your goal setting.

I am going to run the Vancouver marathon for charity next May to get in better shape and to raise awareness about homelessness.

Measurable. You got to give yourself a clearly defined measurement of success.

I will complete the 2018 half marathon.

Achievable. Setting yourself up for success means you have taken the right actions, have the right amount of skills to move forward. Making goals a stretch but inline with clear steps you’ve taken towards it makes it achievable.

I have been running and training, and have developed a clear training schedule to get me to where I need to be.

Results driven. How will this goal change you? You need to know why you are working towards this goal to make sure it is working towards a bigger picture.

I want to complete this under 3 hours, accelerating and changing my level of personal fitness.

Time-bound. A goal is a stepping stone, because you are always moving forward. It is good to give your goals an expiration date, to help you stay motivated and on track to bigger and better things.

I will complete this in the May 2018 marathon.

Now, it is time to get S.M.A.R.T. with your goals and start turning those daydreams into action!