5 Steps to Setting SMART Goals
In today’s episode, I show you how to construct more realistic and actionable goals so you can achieve them faster. I share my number 1 tip on how to implement your goals easily and start taking action immediately. This topic is NOT boring, I promise! Enjoy :)
Transcription
Hey chicos you are listening to English Made Simple, this is episode #67, sesenta y siete. It’s time for some jingle bells!
Hey muchachos, hola, hey amigos, welcome to episode #67 of English Made Simple, my name is Milena from www.englishmadesimple.net.
And I am here today to make your wishes come true, wishes relating to English – that’s what I meant. Unfortunately, I cannot perform any other miracles, like teaching you how to fly by flapping your arms, or turn water into beer or even make you invisible. I can’t do that.
The only miracle I can do is teach you English and make you a fluent speaker of English. I can ONLY grant you wishes pertaining to English. Ok?
Anyway, how are you amigos? ‘Scuse my manners, I didn’t ask how you were doing, just started blabbing and talking nonsense…. Hope you are fine and dandy.
We are approaching the end of the year. Now is the time to start making plans for 2017. And yes, this includes your New Year’s Resolutions. And I’ve mentioned them a few times already!
When making plans for next year, or when setting goals for next year, not just for next year but setting goals in general, you should ensure that your goals are S.M.A.R.T. and I will explain what I mean by this.
In today’s episode, I am going to give you 5 steps to Setting Smart goals. I’ve learnt this when I was studying at a University in New Zealand, I went to study in New Zealand at Auckland University of Technology and then later in my corporate career, working for different companies we worked on SMART goals every year, it was part of our performance review.
I am going to use this Short and Sweet episode to give you this valuable information, I am going to share this valuable knowledge that you won’t find in any English learning textbook.
So listen up!
What I am about to give you is something that you can implement in your everyday life not just your working life.
Ok, one second please, I am just going to put on my serious and professional face now.
(clears throat)
Righto. As I mentioned earlier I am here to help you set SMART goals (What I mean by this, literal translation: metas inteligentes)
SMART is an acronym and it stands for:
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.
We can also say, Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time Based.
This acronym helps us set goals, the ones that can be easily tracked and executed. The SMART goals will help us stay on track with achieving our goals and most importantly it will keep us motivated.
Why is this important?
You know, we could have a goal that’s airy-fairy or something that’s impossible to implement. Like for example, a goal could be: One day I want to fly to the Moon…Quiero volar a la Luna. It’s more of a wishful thinking than a goal that’s realistic. If you want to know what wishful thinking is then please go back to the last episode, #66, I explain it all in there.
Now… Ok. You wanna fly to the Moon… Is this something that’s really going to happen next year? Uhm, well, more likely in the next 20 to 50 years from now but who knows where we will be then.
So what we need to do is set a goal that’s more specific, one that can be measured, a goal that is attainable or achievable, that’s realistic and time-based.
But how will you do that?
Here is an example of a more realistic goal:
I want to speak English fluently.
Ok. It’s a start. Actually this statement “I want to speak English fluently” sounds more like a wish than a goal. It sounds like you only have a desire to speak English fluently. Which is fine, no issues there. But how can you speak English fluently?
So, one way to make your goal Specific is to think about the subject, WHO, the WHAT, the WHERE and the WHEN of your goal.
Let’s now turn that into a SMART goal. Let’s turn: I want to speak English fluently – into a SMART goal using the acronym SMART.
We have to make it a more tangible goal, in other words, we have to make it something that we can see, hear or feel when we finally achieve this goal.
For example, here is a smart goal, listen up:
By December 2017, I am able to confidently talk about myself in English without stopping.
Or even more specific goal
By December 2017, I am able to confidently talk about myself in English when I visit Australia.
Another example, remember if you want you could phrase your goals in the present tense, or in the future tense. By phrasing it in the Present tense, it will make you feel as though you have already achieved it. Which is awesome, which is great.
Here are some other goals to consider:
I am reading one book in English every month, 12 books a year by end of December 2017.
I am attending an English course that will help me pass IELTS, TOEFL or FCE by end of March 2017.
Another goal could be:
I am practising English online every week with an English teacher so that I can become fluent by end of December 2017.
I want to give you more examples of some SMART goals:
I will weigh 58 kilos, able to fit into Size 8 jeans and feel amazing by December 2017.
I will drink 8 glasses of water every day by December 2017.
By end of December 2020, I want to help 1 million students speak English confidently either by producing more valuable podcast content, or offering classes and courses, or by creating a community of English speakers that pays it forward.
Awesome amigos! As I said before, what I am teaching you here in today’s episode is pure gold.
You won’t find it in other English textbooks, what I am teaching you here today is more practical, this is what I had to learn at the University and also at my corporate jobs.
And now I want to help you apply this same technique with your English learning.
I am also going to use today’s short and sweet episode (which is going to go over 5 mins but that’s ok) to make an announcement and what’s in store for the next year. What is happening next year?
The new English Made Simple website will be launched next month, new look of English Made Simple will be launched next month, hopefully! I am sooo excited about that. If not next month then February for sure.
And lastly, as always I will be here answering your questions. If you have a burning question that you would like to ask me, something that you simply must know I will be here to answer your questions. Just send me a message, you can contact me via English Made Simple website, or post your questions in the Facebook group called English Made Simple, I answer every question.
I am sure that other people will have the same questions as you, so don’t be shy to ask me any question. I don’t bite…I will answer them here on this podcast.
New podcast content coming next year, I have plans to interview some students who have done exams in the past and who can give you tips who can share some tips to help you pass your exams, whether you are doing IELTS or TOEFL or FCE exams.
I have plans to give you tips on how to prepare for job interviews, preparing your CV’s and working in an office, what’s it like working in an office, writing emails and so on.
My plan for next year is to expand your vocabulary about something that’s more relevant to you and your profession.
I already have a couple of wishes, including Marcela’s from Chile, to talk about medical and pharmaceutical professions. So I will draw on my experience and share them here on this podcast.
Also, next year, the year of the Rooster according to the Chinese calendar, it will be the time for me to grant you your English wishes.
So guys, what you need to do now is start writing down your New Year’s Resolutions. Write them down and break them down into smaller tasks, turn them into SMART goals.
Thanks for joining me amigos, 4 more sleeps to go until 2017, good luck and speak soon!