SMART Goals Fill in Those Things You Need for Success

How to be accountable while giving yourself room to grow

Goal setting is important for business and personal growth. Goals let you measure and define success. Without clear goals, how do you determine where and how far you want to go in your career or business?

That’s the key question from Chelsea Krost, a millennial expert and marketing and brand strategist who has built her business based on her vision and goals.

“Goals create accountability,” she said. “They allow you to focus and help you to not get distracted. Having goals helps you take action.”

In her #MillennialTalk Twitter chat, Krost discussed how to create and stick to goals with Monica Berg.

An author and teacher, Berg specializes in showing people “how to create a life that feels like it is working, like it makes sense, and most importantly, a life in which they are living and loving as the powerful, fulfilled person they’ve always wanted to be.”

Berg cited author Nancy Gibbs, who wrote, “It’s funny how things change slowly, until the day we realize they’ve changed completely.”

“We’ve all had moments of wondering how we got to where we are,” Berg said. “We constantly evolve. If unclear on who we want to be or how to get there, those moments keep coming.”

Everyone has personal best times to define and reassess goals.

“Set a deadline,” Krost said. “You can break it down into short, midterm and longer goals. Then reassess and see where you are. Breaking it up into short-term goals to create your long-term goals makes it all more achievable.”

Day by Day

Goal setting does not need a special occasion.

“Every. Single. Day,” Berg said. “Self-awareness and constant check-ins are a daily practice. Kabbalists teach our purpose here is personal transformation. Why not redefine and reassess who you are and what you want constantly?

“Though I will say, my birthday is very close to Rosh Hashanah,” she said. “I usually feel a mix of vulnerability and desire to do right by the world. That’s a good time for me to reflect and put some extra love into my goals.”

Assorted tools are great for sticking to goals.

“I believe in the power of a good journal,” Berg said. “Leather-bound tome or Post-it® notes on a mirror, the work of bringing ethereal goals into the concrete world is important. In my journals, I will break goals into ‘To-Do’ and ‘To-Be’ lists because who you believe yourself to be — and who you want to be — will always dictate your actions.

“Literally draw two columns in your journal,” she said, describing how that would look:

• First-Column Example: To Be: More empathetic. To Do: One act of kindness per week for an elderly neighbor.
• Second-Column Example: To Be: A better friend. To Do: Check in with at least one friend every day.

“Focusing on who you are can be more rewarding than checking off boxes,” Berg said.

When plotting the future, it’s good to know the difference between goals and intentions.

“Goals are specific and measurable,” Krost said. “Intentions deal more with the present and are the starting point for your goal setting. Your goals are the result of your intentions.”

As they continued their conversation, Berg and Krost looked at what goes into SMART goals and how they can keep you focused and get back on track when needed.