Get SMART & Set Solid Goals

Yesterday, we reviewed how the SWOT Analysis matrix could be applied to oneself as part of career coaching. The 2X2 matrix covers four dimensions that are considered for a brand, and this includes your attempts and strategies for Personal Branding 2.0. Your strengths may translate to opportunities, and your weaknesses may lead to potential threats.

View, review and overview your goals regularly! You don’t need to weigh yourself everyday as moment-to-moment measurements can present only mild variations. Reviews and the like are to jog your memory, so you remember. Exercised muscles remember their workouts, too – muscle memory is a wonderful thing whether you play a musical instrument, play a sport, or speak a foreign language. The longer you spend on a skill, the deeper it is ingrained into your mind and body – this is called neuromuscular education.

Use SMART goals to set new targets, expectations and standards for yourself. As a manager, do use the opportunity of the performance appraisal interview to discuss developmental plans for your staff. This gives them a sense of relevance, purpose, opportunity and optimism. Make staff feel valued, and they may shine through their performance.

Here, leading Australian sports clothes company Jaggad has an article on setting SMART Goals to your athletic achievements.

Do use goals to orientate your attention and purpose. Goals give us a sense of direction, commitment and focus. Set short-term goals as well as long term ones. I know executives who sign up for Ironman triathlons in advance, and this ensures that they have interim goals that blend, eventually, with long term ones. How’s this for a mid-term goal for the more serious athletes among us?