In the previous post, we introduced you an effective way to set your goals using S.M.A.R.T. criteria, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely respectively. (For more information, visit 5 Tips For Successful Goal-Setting) In this post, we’d like to introduce 5 tips that can help you Achieve your SMART goals.

Make Positive Affirmations

“Belief consists in accepting the affirmations of the soul; unbelief, in denying them.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

After you set your SMART goals, you should always remember that your goals are attainable, which should give you the confidence to affirm that you can achieve them. A positive affirmation is not merely a matter of ego but rather a statement about the perceived truth of the situation. Repeat your positive affirmations to yourself throughout the day, especially when your doubts are about to take over your mind. It is not just a matter of saying the words of the affirmations, but also truly believing in the message of the affirmation, internalizing the belief in that message, and feeling the power of converting that belief into your own personal motivation. Studies show that by simply repeating your affirmations over and over, your mind will start believing the statements since it cannot readily distinguish the difference between what is real and what is not. The more you tell yourself that things will happen, the more likely they will. In Psychology, this is a well-known principle known as the “Self Fulfilling Prophecy”. Therefore, repeating positive affirmations to yourself will stimulate your potential and help you achieve your SMART goals.

Meditate

“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.” –  Amit Ray

When you feel upset or frustrated and want to give up, meditation is an excellent way to calm your mind, tap into the unlimited potential of your unconscious, and improve your focus after the meditation. Just spare yourself 5 – 10 minutes and focus on your breath without thinking about anything that bothers you in life. Afterwards, you will feel exceptionally released from stress and ready to fight for your goals again. (To learn more details of meditation, go visit What is Meditation and How It Affects Our Brains)

Be Open-Minded

“When my information changes, I alter my conclusions.” –– John Maynard Keynes

When you are trying to reach your SMART goals, it is vital to stay open-minded and accept changes in life. You never know what life will throw at you –– you might receive a huge benefit in the next minutes or you might encounter an obstacle that you have never imagined before. Being open-minded can strengthen your mindset, help you accept the life changes faster while maintaining a positive attitude and make adjustments to your SMART goals in a timely manner.

Being open-minded also means listening to other people’s ideas and giving those ideas reasonable consideration. Do not rush to reject something simply because it is not completely familiar to you. Maybe these different ideas are not as good as yours in terms of helping you achieve your goals, but what if they are, or even better? What if you can adapt certain parts of someone else’s idea to strengthen your own?

Take Actions

“The path to success is to take massive, determined action.” –– Tony Robbins

This is one of the most important steps to achieve your goals. You have a SMART goal? Good. You are following the above tips? Great! But if you do not start taking action, you will NEVER achieve your goals. The more practical steps you take each day, the faster you are likely to reach your goals. Start from this moment, read, listen, and learn. Accomplishing your goals is essentially a part of the journey towards self-growth. The more you read, listen, and learn, the easier for you to self-develop, and ultimately, make your dream come true.

Track and Reflect on Your Performance

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.” –– Peter Drucker

Tracking and reflecting on your performance are the other two most important steps to help you achieve your SMART goals. Your goals should be measurable, right? (If you wonder why a goal should be measurable, visit our previous blog post –– 5 Tips for Successful Goal Setting) If your goal is measurable, you have already determined a way to measure your performance. For example, if you part of your goal is to read one article per day, you can just simply check if you are following it. Also, you can use other evidence to track your performance, such as your exam grades if you are a student or your supervisor’s comments if you are employed.

Then, you should always reflect –– are you making progress? If yes, what are the things you have done that help you meet your expectations and what else can you do to further improve your performance? If not, which parts go wrong and how can you correct them –– by simply working harder or changing your strategies? Remember that your strategies or even your goals are not fixed. If you find they are unrealistic or need to be revised, you can always change them. However, without tracking and reflecting on your performance, you will never know whether your goal is SMART enough, which can be the hardest difficulty to conquer.

Therefore, track and reflect on your performance from time to time and you will definitely benefit from doing it.

So far, we have introduced you 5 tips to set your SMART goals and 5 tips to achieve your SMART goals. Use these tips and start your journey of self-development!

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