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Your goals need to be SMART. Make sure they are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Framed and you’ll be well on your way to winning the race. (Photo Credit: Fotolia.com)

Defining goals is a great way to start on a path towards achieving a desired outcome, but many people define what they want and ignore defining how to get there.

Remember, a successful plan must be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Framed. Here’s a closer look at how to define SMART goals:

Specific: Be sure to make the goal as specific as possible. Don’t just say you want to “grow your business”, define it with a statement like, “I want to grow my business by targeting men ages 18-25”.

Measurable: It’s hard to gauge whether you’re successful if you can’t track your progress. Be sure your goals are measurable, and then take the time to track and analyze the analytics.

Achievable: Don’t make your goals so outrageous they’re not achievable.

Relevant: Make sure all the pieces of your plan are relevant to your over

all long-term objectives. It doesn’t do any good to work on something that doesn’t help the overall goal.

Time-Framed: Make sure your goal has a time frame. This will allow you to stay focused and assess your success at a predetermined time.

Interested in learning more? Check out Strategically Planning for Success by Lynda Nance, Business Development Strategist, in our April newsletter.