Bonus Episode 60: From Goals to Growth: The SMART Technique for Personal Achievement

Transcript

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Hi, this is Stephen MacLean of the Finance Leader Podcast.

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This is bonus episode number 60.

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I hope you're having a great day, i am for sure.

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In last week's bonus episode, i asked you to review your goals, since we are approaching mid-year.

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For this week, i'm asking you to ensure you are using the smart goal-setting technique, which is widely used in business and organizations.

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The acronym SMART stands for Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and Time Bound.

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So this week I want to share episode 102, use the SMART Goal-Setting Method for Better Goal Planning.

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Let's make sure your goals are properly planned so you can execute them.

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I believe in you and in this community and I want you to succeed, so use SMART.

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Also, please check out Finance Leader Academy.

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I offer a course called Advanced Your Career.

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I added the link in the show notes so you can preview this course.

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There is an introductory video there to explain how this course can help you, And please download the free Become a Finance Leader Guide.

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I know that can help you too.

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Season 15 of the Finance Leader Podcast will debut on July 11.

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Please enjoy this on-court episode.

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Episode 102, use the SMART Goal-Setting Method for Better Goal Planning, thank you.

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Last episode, i talked about goal setting for 2023 and that I want you to be bold this year.

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That's bold B believe, o overcome, l leadership and D decisive When we set our goals.

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Let's use the SMART Goal Setting Methodology so we set realistic goals that we can achieve, because we have properly thought through the best way to plan them and achieve them.

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You know how I feel about New Year's resolutions because at this point, most people have given up on them since they had no solid foundation in being achieved.

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Let's plan out our goals that make sense for us.

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Please enjoy the episode.

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Welcome to the Finance Leader Podcast, where leadership is bigger than the numbers.

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I am your host, stephen McClain.

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This is the podcast for developing leaders in finance and accounting.

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Please consider following me on Twitter, facebook, instagram and LinkedIn.

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My usernames and the links are in this episode's show notes.

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This is episode number 102 and I'll be talking about the SMART Goal Setting Technique, and I will highlight the following topics Number one be focused.

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Number two the SMART Goal Setting Technique.

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And three ensure you are being bold this year.

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Legendary football coach Lou Holtz said if you're bored with life, you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things.

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You don't have enough goals.

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In this episode.

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I want to briefly talk about the SMART Goal Setting Technique.

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I am sure you have heard about it previously and even used it.

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It's a great technique to ensure you properly plan out your goals.

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Smart Goal Setting is a framework for setting and achieving specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound goals.

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It is a widely used method for setting and achieving goals in both personal and professional settings.

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The acronym stands for Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and Time-Bound.

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Using the SMART framework can help ensure that goals are clear, actionable and achievable.

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I love goals and goal setting and I love achievement even more The focus and the effort to achieve something you want.

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That is what goal setting and achievement is all about.

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We talked extensively last episode about goal setting.

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Have you written out your goals for this year?

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If yes, that's great.

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If not, you are not late at all.

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It may take a few weeks to uncover and decide what you want to achieve for this year, and that's okay.

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If you have them, let's use the SMART Goal Setting methodology to plan out our goals correctly.

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What is your long-term goal Now?

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this can change over time, but what do you want to achieve in your professional life?

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Ensure you plan backwards from that goal so that you know what steps you need to achieve it?

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Do you know your long-term goal?

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Is it to be CFO or even CEO?

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Maybe a CPA in a firm, a business owner or something else?

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There are so many possibilities.

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Last episode, i also talked about being bold.

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This year, that's B believe, o overcome L, as in leadership, and D decisive.

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Bold is a growth mindset technique to unlock your potential.

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I want you to be decisive about your goals, decide what you want to accomplish and then commit action to that plan.

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The productivity tip I want to share with you this week is to ensure that your goals are broken down into smaller and actionable chunks.

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When you break down your goals into smaller and smaller pieces, you are more likely to achieve your bigger goal.

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So break down your goal into smaller and smaller parts, as small as you can, and then you will find yourself accomplishing more.

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One more thing having a written plan will set you up for success and ensure you are updating that plan as you make progress and as you make decisions about your goals.

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Updating your plan monthly is ideal.

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Now put time on your calendar to ensure you get it done.

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Broken down goals and a written plan.

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Now let's talk about more, about goal setting and smart goal setting.

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Number one be focused.

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To be successful, you must be committed to excellence.

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Be committed to achieving your goals.

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You have to focus, you have to eliminate the distractions and become hyper focused, which means your routines have to change and your approach has to change.

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Now, some of you won't believe this, but multitasking is really a myth and the thought of it is ruining your ability to achieve the hard task.

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Those of you who swear by multitasking believe you are getting more done and you believe you truly are working on more than one task or problem at a time And the thought of it is ruining your ability to achieve the hard task, which is your long term goal.

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But what it is is slowing you down and what really happens is that both tasks you are working on becomes less than excellence.

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You are actually achieving less and you are not really achieving your potential.

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And since you are not focused on one particular task, both tasks are suffering.

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By focusing on one task, objective or goal at a time, you can hyper focus on that one area so you achieve it with excellence.

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One area, so you can focus.

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Focus is key.

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Number two the smart goal setting technique.

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Smart goal setting is a method of setting goals that is widely used in business and organizations.

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The acronym SMART stands for Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and Time Bound.

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These five criteria are used to ensure that goals are well defined and achievable.

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Specific A specific goal has a clear target or outcome that is well defined.

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It should answer the questions of what, why and how.

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Now, measurable a measurable goal can be quantified or tracked in some way.

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This allows for progress to be monitored and the goals achievement to be evaluated.

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Achievable The goal should be realistic and attainable.

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It should be something that can be achieved with the resources and capabilities that are available.

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Relevant A relevant goal is one that aligns with the overall objectives and mission of the organization or individual.

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Time bound a goal should have a specific deadline for completion.

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This creates a sense of urgency and helps to focus efforts towards achieving the goal.

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Using the SMART criteria when setting goals can help to ensure that they are clear, achievable and align with the overall objectives of the organization or individual.

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It can also help to increase motivation and focus, making it more likely that the goal will be achieved.

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Number three I want you to be bold in 2023.

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I talked about this in the last episode.

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I want you to apply bold this year in everything you do.

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Bold, which is believe, overcome leadership and decisive.

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Believe is knowing that you can achieve the goals you are setting for yourself.

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It's important to believe that you can get it done Now.

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Being bold is about ensuring you go after and achieve your long-term goal.

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Now go get it For action today.

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First, i want you to validate your long-term goal.

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Do you have that written down and planned out?

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Ensure you know your long-term goal.

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It can change, so it's good to review and update it so you know what you're committing yourself to.

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Next, i want you to format your goals using the smart technique I talked about today.

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Look over your goals and ensure you have addressed the acronym SMART Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and Time Bound.

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Review your goals and your individual development plan.

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Now one more thing do your daily routines and habits support your goal achievement process?

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Now, if you have not already, i want to invite you to download a leadership guide for finance and accounting leaders.

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You can go to financeleaderacademycom and select Free Leadership Guide on the main menu.

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It's free and it may give you a few ideas for your own leadership development.

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Today I talked about the SMART goal setting technique and I highlighted the following points Number one be focused.

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Number two the SMART goal setting technique.

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And three ensure you are being bold this year.

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Goal setting is important because it provides direction and focus and helps individuals and organizations to achieve their desired outcomes.

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By setting clear, measurable and achievable goals, individuals and organizations can track progress and measure success.

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I love goal setting and achievement, and I hope you do too.

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High-performing professionals want to be around other high performers who are focused and ready to achieve.

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Now, next episode, i will be talking about preparing yourself for improvement and achievement.

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We are going to address our mindset, which is a topic close to my heart, just like leadership and goal setting.

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I hope you enjoyed the Finance Leader podcast.

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I am dedicated to helping you grow your leadership skills, to change your mindset and to clarify your goals so you advance your career.

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You can find this episode wherever you listen to podcasts.

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If this episode helped you today, please share and leave a quick review so that others may find the podcast Until next time.

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You can check out more resources at financeleaderacademycom and sign up for my weekly updates so you don't miss an episode of the podcast.

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And now go lead your team and I'll see you next time.

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Thank you.

Bonus Episode 60: From Goals to Growth: The SMART Technique for Personal Achievement

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