Yesterday, I wrote about how to achieve your goal in a post titled, "It is to early to give up". I explained certain steps and precautions that can be taken to achieve that you goal which you think might not be achievable again but I thought to myself, why talk about achieving a goal when the goal was not a realistic one.
Is there a realistic goal?
Yes, assuming the total supply of a coin is 2,000,000 and you are setting a goal of holding 3,000,000 of same coin.
It is also a goal but not realistic and there are some goals like that which we will think to ourselves but they do not conform to reality.
How to set a realistic goal?
Setting a realistic goal requires following a specific acronym which is called SMART objective.
S - Specific
The S in the acronyms stand for specific. Your goals should not contain ambiguous and should not be based on probability.
For instance, I should be able to earn about $100 before the end of December.
This is based on probability which might not be achieved since I am putting the goal and I will be contented even if I did not achieve it since it is on probability.
Rather than using that word, I will say, I want to earn $100 or minimum of $100 before the end of the year.
The difference in this and the previous instance is that the latter is specific even though it is with a clause but there is a minimum target that must be achieved and any other additional earning will be welcomed.
There is a way this will condition our mind as we will be able to track our progress.
M - Measurable
This is somehow confusing and some people will take it as being the same as specific but rather it is not.
So in this case, I will like to use BCH as an example. If your aim is to earn $100 and you earned $50 and the price of BCH doubled, then you did not actually achieved what you set to achieved but it was controlled by an external factor.
So if your goal was to have 0.1 BCH. This is measurable irrespective of whether the price of BCH increase or decrease. You can track your progress like when it is specific but adding measurable to it will let you know if the deviation is from you or from external forces.
A - Achievable
Your goal can be specific and measurable but not achievable.
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing you put your mind into that you cannot achieve but there are certain things that you know that they are not achievable.
Clamouring for heavens is good but it is not achievable or maybe I will say it is not within human capacity.
Can your goals be achieved or it is not possible?
It is like setting a goal to graduate from a four years course within 2years.
It is specific and measurable but not achievable but rather having a specific CGPA is specific, measurable and achievable.
R - Realistic
This is another yet similar but different concept.
Based on human capability, there are certain that are achievable but in real sense not realistic. Though most of our goals are realistic but this is put in place to serve as a check to whether the goal can be achieved or not.
Swimming over a long distance from one coast to coast is achievable but considering the circumstances surrounding it and the energy required, it is not realistic.
T - Timely
This is the most important aspect and should not be overlooked. Your goals must be defined within a set of period or have a specific completion and beginning time to avoid taking too much time or what should be achieved within few hours.
Unless your goal is defined according to time, it might become unrealistic since there is no push and there is no limitation to when it can be achieved.
The Smart objective has been criticized and it has been praised by different scholar while some go further to add to it and call it SMARTER but all these are just modification to the initial principle of SMART which remains the basic for achieving a goal or target.
In setting your next goal or aim, make use of this acronyms to test the feasibility of your goal.
Your contribution will be highly valued.
Till I cross your path again, I am like a ready made pen in the hand of the creator. I am
A²¹
