Are Your Goals S.M.A.R.T.?

grabyourslice
Nov 23
4 min read

An oldie but goodie... S.M.A.R.T. goals... If you are not already familiar with the acronym, S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound.

I am not a New Year's Resolution type of person... that doesn't work for me. And to be honest, I wasn't a goal-setting person either... that is, until I realized I was doing them wrong.

Does this sound familiar?

1. Write down goals (general wishes),

2. Put in a drawer (out of sight), and

3. Forget about them (ignore)

... only to find the goal list, years later, when cleaning out the overstuffed drawer of miscellaneous papers, and beat yourself up for not achieving any of them.

Well, no more, people!!! We are leveling up for the new year!

We are committing to doing things differently! We deserve better! We are leveling up!

Story Time

After my divorce, a friend helped me level up my money management skills. They sat with me once a month for four months, reviewed my cash flow, and taught me how to create a budget that worked for me. The truth is, I managed the finances when I was married, or at least I thought I was. Setting aside the financial infidelity, there was a lot for me to learn if I was going not just to survive but thrive in my post-divorce life.

Realization

Excited with my new skills, I tracked my cash flow and updated my budget accordingly. After a while, I realized... it wasn't enough.

Knowing how to track money and build a budget is like learning to drive a stick shift, but only in the parking lot. In other words, a budget and cash flow only told me where I stood today (which wasn't a pretty picture). At the beginning of my FI journey, there was a lot of shame, guilt, and embarrassment.

Level Up (What's Next)

I had to get out of the parking lot. Not going to lie, I was scared.

The budget and cash flow told me where I was... but not where I was going. That is where S.M.A.R.T. goals came in. So, for the first time in my life, I wrote goals, the

SMART way, for the new year.

And, oh my goodness, it worked!!! Actually, it worked too well. I achieved everything on the list ... in three months. Yes, three months!! I was as surprised as you are. How was that possible???

I did what any reasonable person would do... I added more S.M.A.R.T. goals to finish out the remaining nine months of the year. Armed, I got to work... and finished the new list ... in three months!! AGAIN! What was happening???

Second Realization

There I was, mid-year, with a now-completed list of S.M.A.R.T. goals. What was happening? I reviewed my goals, they were all important to me, my family, my home, finances, etc... and they were all done. Part of me was happy, but part of me was stunned, shocked even.

That is when I realized I was playing small. All this time, I thought I was living to my full potential, when I hadn't even scratched the surface, and then I came across a quote from Marianne Williamson from her book, A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

The Challenge

I started this post talking about goals and leveling up... truth is, you can Google what S.M.A.R.T. goals are and how to set them up. There are plenty of resources.

My challenge to you is... Who are you to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?

Make this year your turning point year... level up... do things differently and let your own light shine!

What is your definition of achievable?

What is your definition of realistic?

Level up, my friends, like me, you may be surprised, even shocked, at what you can achieve.

Bottom Line

If you are tired of money woes and want to try something different but are not sure how to start, working with a personal finance coach can be the partner to guide you.

Let's Talk

If you have experienced a financial setback and tried everything you know to build a life with financial freedom, but are still frustrated by the process, then maybe this is a good time to talk to a personal finance coach.