Turn your vision into SMART goals

Last week I posted an exercise called the Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow exercise.

I hope you took the time out for yourself to sit down and write about those three areas of your life (relationships, occupation and health).

If not, you can find it here: 
Once you have completed this exercise, it's time to pick one goal and create a workable plan for achieving it. Before getting to the plan, however, let us look at identifying the GOAL itself.

Let's begin! Look at your answers for TODAY and TOMORROW and choose one thing that will make the biggest difference to your life right now.

For example, if your goal is in the area of relationships - and it is to spend more quality time with your child or children, you will now want to turn that into a S.M.A.R.T. goal. In other words, a goal that you can easily describe and quantify.

So think about your goal and WRITE IT DOWN in the following way:

Make it Specific (describe it clearly), Measurable (write how you will know when it is achieved), Attainable (it must be something that can be achieved), Realistic (it must be possible for YOU to achieve it), and Time-sensitive (write down the date you wish to start it and, if applicable, the date it will be completed. If ongoing, write down the time of day or week it will be done).

Thus, Jennifer's SMART goal (which came out of her VISION) might be written down as follows:

VISION: To be a great mom to Kerry.

GOAL: To spend more consistent quality time with my daughter, Kerry - age 10.

S.M.A.R.T. GOAL:

Specific: To spend 30 minutes of time each day with Kerry – this means doing what SHE wants to do FOR A FULL 30 MINUTES without distraction from my cell phone, computer, telephone or other family members and without doing household tasks or organizing her things at the same time.

Measurable: I will know when it is done when 30 minutes have passed and I have done the above. It also has to be done every day.

Attainable: yes

Realistic: yes, I have looked at my schedule and her schedule and I can devote 30 minutes of time to her each day

Time-Sensitive: It needs to be done every day without exception. Each Sunday I will put block off the 30 minutes for each day of the coming week in my diary.

Now that you have identified your goal, and described it clearly, we can begin to look at an ACTION PLAN next week.
For some of you, simply describing the goal will be enough to get you going.

Good luck for this week and let me know how it goes by emailing me at: KimARichardson@aol.com

This blogpost was written by Kim Richardson, founder of the website: “The Mommy Blues – where Mothers Feelings Matter (and sharing helps)“. Kim Richardson is an advocate for mother’s mental health, a postpartum counselor and a mother’s coach.

If YOU  are curious about how a Mother’s Coach can enhance your life in all areas, please contact Kim Richardson to schedule a session.
Visit  website:  www.themommyblues.com

Email Kim at: KimARichardson@aol.com
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