The way many of us were taught to set and achieve goals could very well be the set up for failure.
But have no fear, I’ve got an easier way to achieve whatever the heck you want in a relaxed manner.
Business seminars and books tell you to have SMART goals. There are different versions of this acronym, but generally it goes like this:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Risky, Realistic, or Relevant (depending on who’s teaching)
Timely
In some cases, a goal designed from the SMART model will work.
For most people, most of the time, there needs to be less structure when setting a goal. Every person has to set a target based on where they’re at. It’s mostly dependent on their emotional reactions to the goal, not their past history.
Let me break this down step-by-step.
So being Specific – Yes, be as specific as possible with each goal or desire. You’re literally giving an order to the Universe on what to deliver to you.
But if you just have a vague idea of what you want, that’s fine! If you want to move but have no idea where, just articulate any of the attributes you know you do want from your desired location.
You may only know that you want it to be sunny with friendly people. If that’s all you know, then that’s enough. If you begin to push yourself to be more detailed you may run into resistance, which isn’t good for goal setting. 😉
Measurable – If you can quantify the goal, do it. For some of us (like me), it makes the goal feel more concrete and creates excitement.
But if it creates pressure, let it go or back off a bit. If you really want to attract $100,000 in new income but fear pops up when you say it, maybe state the goal in $1,000 increments until you reach the target total.
Attainable – Everything is attainable. Period. A better question is, “Do I believe this is possible for me right now?” If not, again, back off a bit and then build up your belief.
Risky, Realistic, or Relevant – None of these matter. Do you really want the goal or not? If you do, then that’s what makes it a great thing to go after.
Who gives a rip if it’s a stretch for you or it’s a side tangent. If it brings you delight before, during, and after you manifest it, then go for it.
Timely – If setting a target date to manifest the goal creates enthusiasm, do it! If a deadline stresses you out or makes you fear failure, remove it! Hold a time frame lightly.
If your goal manifests a day or two late would that be terrible? When you get attached to a certain date and it causes stress, it can be the biggest obstacle to attracting that goal fast.
Goal setting should be fun. It should feel like a fun game. If it’s not, re-evaluate the goal itself, or look at the way you think you need to be, or what you have to do to get the goal. Sometimes the goal is perfect but we perceive struggle in getting it.