“SMART” GOALS FOR PERSONAL LIFE

If at all you want to set goals – set SMART goals. SMART stands for

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Achievable

R- Result oriented

T – Time bound

Most of us have heard of SMART goals at our workplace, but how many of us really apply it in our personal lives as well. Personal goals are as important and should go through a proper planning and direction. What are some examples of SMART goals

• Financial goal – Save upto Rs. 1 lakh by end of July
• Pleasure goal – Go for an international vacation by end of December
• Health goal – Eat junk food not more than twice in a month
• Health goal – Reduce at least 2 kgs by end of January
• Hobby goals – Read at least 2 novels by end of March
• Hobby goals – Paint at least 1 canvas painting by end of June

It also helps a lot if you make time to note your progress on each goal. Say if your goal is to save Rs. 1 lakh in next 4 months, you should have clear plan of how much will you save each month/week. How exactly will you save? Where will you cut your expenditure? Which bank account will you keep your saved money?  Making a clear and concise plan of achieving your goal makes it achievable.

So, there are many such personal things that you can have goals for. Having clear goals gives us a very clear direction and more importantly it gives us a huge sense of achievement if we are successful. If we are not successful then it gives us a better analysis of why we failed and hence a better learning.

I personally try to have a lot of hobby related goals because hobbies are the things that get ignored a lot in interest of work and family. But I realize that it is very important for me to have a good “me time”. Having hobby goals also makes every day very interesting. I don’t have to think what to do with my free time, I just have to look at my goals and set my priorities right – even the free time is my travel time or few minutes before I sleep.

Having SMART personal goals enhances personal life tremendously. It makes you way more organized and arranged. It can give you amazing fruitful results in the long run.

 

7 LITTLE KNOWN GOAL SETTING TRICKS

Lesson 1: The most important rule of writing your goals down is that you must follow if you want to achieve success.

Most of us already know that it is vitally important to write your goals down.The simple mechanical act of writing makes your goal visible and tangible.That’s no longer just a thought! Now it’s a commitment. But there is one rule you must follow to succeed that very few know.

It’s not enough to write your goal down…

… You have to describe it in complete detail!

Make it as specific as possible.

Compare: “I want to buy a new home” and “I want to live in a new two story gorgeous Victorian style home with 4 spacious bedrooms, luxurious living room with a fireplace and hardwood floors. I will enjoy my large backyard with swimming pool and patio…”

 “I want to make a lot of money” is not the goal. It’s just a wish.

“I want to make $10.000 monthly with my business by July 1st.” Now that’s the goal.

After writing your goal down in complete details don’t forget to make it visible! You can write it on a yellow note and stick it on your computer. Or even better-print it so it would fit 4×6 picture frame, then frame it and put it on your desktop. You can also print it on your business card and put it in your wallet. Try to surround yourself with little reminders. This will help you to stay focused on your goal and create a clear mental image of what you want.

Lesson 2: The one question you must answer before you take action.

There is one question you must answer before you start achieving your goal. Failure to answer that question will result in lack of motivation and failure to follow the plan. Take a piece of paper and answer this question in writing:

WHY do you want to achieve your goal?

No, not just because “I want”. There are reasons behind your dreams, usually dozens of them. And if you realize why you want to reach your goal, you’ll be most likely to follow your plan till the end.

For example, why would you want to lose 15 pounds in 2 months?

•  To look good
•  To feel good about yourself
•  To fit in your favorite dress
•  To impress your spouse

List every single reason. Try to imagine all the benefits. The truth is that the longer the list, the stronger your motivation will be. Read your reasons first thing in the morning. Even better, frame them and hang them on the wall. It will keep you focused and motivated.

Lesson 3: How to trick yourself to finally get started working on your goals and stay on track until the goal is accomplished.

I’ve heard this hundreds of times.

“Think Big!”

“Dream Big Dreams!”

“Make Your Goal As Big As You Can Imagine!”

So, okay… I’ve written down my BIG, almost out-of-reach goal. After all, I don’t want to underestimate myself. I know I can do this but…But often after a full day at work I’m just so exhausted…to start working on my big goal. I don’t have enough energy for BIG goals. So I make a dinner, watch TV, do the homework and think “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

But tomorrow never comes.

Every evening I’m too tired to work on my goal. Day after day I’m feeling more and guiltier. As weeks pass by I’m getting more depressed….Have you ever been in this situation? If yes, there’s a small trick that will help you to get started no matter how big your goal is. Every night write down a small task for the next day. Make it as tiny as you can. Something that would take 10-15 minutes. Let’s say your goal is to lose weight and you decided to work out every day for 30 minutes. You could write down your assignment: “Do one exercise for lower abs 10 times.”

Yes, just one exercise, just 10 times. It would take you about 3 minutes. The secret is that the most difficult thing is to get started. Once you got started you’ll 95% most likely finish the whole 30 minutes work out! Even if you just do one exercise for 10 times, it is better that nothing. You wouldn’t feel guilty and depressed  you’ve fulfilled your assignment! And if you do more you’ll feel even better! The trick is to give yourself a really small task: To make a phone call, or to read one page of a textbook. And once you get started you will actually find out that you won’t mind doing more than you planned!

Remember, set big goals, but make your tasks small.

Lesson 4: One simple yet powerful technique that drives you into action every day and helps overcome procrastination.

Unfortunately very few recognize the astonishing power of personal success journal. It takes only 10-15 minutes a day to write down your achievements and the tasks you’ve accomplished. But these 15 minutes a day have the power to transform all your life.

Success journal motivates you: By writing down your achievements you will be able to feel the progress. You will see how by small steps you’re moving closer and closer to your goal.

Success journal eliminates temptation: It will be easier to resist temptations since you know that you have to write down what you have done tonight.

Success journal simplifies your life: Things become much simpler when they are written down. A journal makes you more tolerant of life’s distractions.

However you should be aware of three rules of keeping a success journal:

1. Write only what you’ve done: Don’t write what you still haven’t done and what you have to do tomorrow. List only accomplished tasks and achievements.
2. List even small things: Everything counts! A phone call, a chapter of a textbook or your decision to pass by the chocolate cheesecake…
3. Make it a daily habit: Don’t skip days! Even if you’re exhausted make sure you write at least 1-2 sentences in your success journal. Even if the only thing you did was thinking about your goal.

I urge you to take a notebook and start to list all your completed tasks. In 30 days you wouldn’t possibly be able to live without it.

Lesson 5: The secret formula that helps you define the perfect moment for working on your goal.

Are you waiting for a perfect moment to work on your goal? Are you sure you will be able to recognize the perfect moment when it comes? There is one simple formula that instantly tells you the perfect time to start achieving your goal.

The perfect moment = NOW!

Yes, right now, this very second is the ONLY perfect moment to start working towards your goals. No, it’s not tomorrow or Monday or the first day of the month. Right now. Don’t waste your life waiting for a perfect conditions or perfect opportunity. They don’t exist. Use what you have, start right now, never ever procrastinate! Have you ever noticed that all the successful people are very dynamic? They don’t lie on the couch…waiting for the perfect time to start doing something. They get up and DO it. If you’re still trying to put things off and make excuses to do it later, in the next lesson you will learn how to overcome procrastination and become a person who loves the thrill of getting things done.

Lesson 6: How to stop putting things off and convert yourself from procrastinator into productive, effective person who loves the thrill of getting things done.

Are you the person who always puts things off and promises himself to do it later?

Then this technique is for you. Next time you catch yourself trying to put important tasks off, take a piece of paper and answer three simple questions.

1. Where you are?
2. What do you want to do?
3. How you will feel while doing it?

While writing down what do you want to do you will already imagine yourself doing it. And it won’t be very difficult for you to get up and do it.

Let’s say you’ve been putting off organizing your closet. You always find more important tasks to do and it’s never enough time to clean it and put everything in place. Just sit down, take a piece of paper and begin writing: “It’s Saturday, 3:45pm. I’m sitting in the living room couch, drinking tea. I want to organize my closet. It will only take me about 1 hour and I will feel energetic and satisfied that I finally got it done. My closet will be clean, everything will be sorted and in place….” Just as you’re writing it

you feel the desire to get up and do it. Because you want your closet organized, you want to feel satisfied and you’ve already imagined yourself doing it.

Remember, all you have to do is to answer three questions. Where you are, what do you want to do, and how will you feel while doing it. It’s a very simple technique but it works like a magic!

Lesson 7: The one simple technique that will make any boring task a pure fun and increase your productivity by more than 125%!

Do you know how to turn monotonous boring task into fun? Make a game out of it!

For example, time yourself and keep trying to improve your time. Let’s say you have to peel 20 potatoes. Challenge yourself! Set a record of how many potatoes can you peel in 3 minutes. Then try to beat your own record. Or you can time yourself to see how long it takes you to peel one apple. And beat your record again! The good thing is you will always be a winner. You can turn any boring task into fun game. Just use a little imagination! This simple trick has proven to increase productivity by more than 125%! Use it and you’ll notice that you’re getting more work done in a less amount of time.

So that’s all from my side in this edition. Enjoy your weekends, achieve your goals, and don’t forget to have fun!

Author’s Bio: Sulagna Dasgupta has been writing about self-improvement and relationships for more than 5 years. Her website “www.loveinindia.co.in” is India’s first dedicated relationships & marriage blog, also offering FREE unlimited anonymous relationship counselling. Her mission is to facilitate more open thinking about love & relationships in India in the long run. 

WHAT IS ARROGANCE & WHAT IT CAN DO TO A PERSON? WHAT THE GREAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT IT?

Finally, we came to the end of another fruitful week discussing about pride and arrogance. Though the size of readers is less this week but we did have some good write-ups posted throughout. 

All the previous articles can be found HERE together starting from the Mega Article to Final Words.

Tonight, I am bit arrogant to write anything on arrogance… Lol 😉

But actually I don’t want to talk about it when the great people and the people around the world have spoken so much about arrogance. I have mentioned them as follows:

“You never really learn much from hearing yourself speak.”  ― George Clooney

“Arrogance is a creature. It does not have senses.
It has only a sharp tongue and the pointing finger.”  ― Toba Beta

“There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. ‘Good pride’ represents our dignity and self-respect. ‘Bad pride’ is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance.” ― John C. Maxwell

“Arrogance, ignorance, and incompetence. Not a pretty cocktail of personality traits in the best of situations. No sirree. Not a pretty cocktail in an office-mate and not a pretty cocktail in a head of state. In fact, in a leader, it’s a lethal cocktail.” ― Graydon Carter

“Nobody can be so amusingly arrogant as a young man who has just discovered an old idea and thinks it is his own.” ― Sydney J. Harris

“Love measures our stature: the more we love, the bigger we are. There is no smaller package in all the world than that of a man all wrapped up in himself.” ― William Sloane Coffin

“He was like a cock who thought the sun had risen to hear him crow.” ― George Eliot

The last quote by George Eliot was my favourite from the lot above. What arrogance can do to the people, we really can’t imagine. Is there any comparison between a cock and the sun? Yet, arrogance made the cock to think that the sun rises to hear it crow. Funny, isn’t it?

Friends, keep reading, keep pondering on these articles, snippets and quotes…

Stay Blessed!

(Quotes are collected from  - http://www.wisdomquotes.com, 
http://www.goodreads.com & http://www.brainyquote.com) 

WHAT IF LIFE GAVE YOU AN DESERVING OPPORTUNITY TO BE ARROGANT? WOULD YOU?

Our topic this week is haughty eyes – or pride – or arrogance, you know the drill.

But let me flip it for you a little. What if a situation gave you FULL authority to be proud, to show your authority over another? What would you do then?

The answer lies in this wonderful little video that went viral a couple of months ago – it is about a judge passing a sentence to a man convicted of burglary theft.

As he was about to leave, the judge asked him if he went to a particular school. Immediately he recognised her and broke into uncontrollable sobs. They were classmates in the same school while growing up. One became a convict, another a judge. Imagine this situation.

The thing is, she could have chided him – gloated about where she has reached in life, and where he was, a convicted burglar.

She didn’t.

Rather, she gently told him, “I hope you can change your ways, you were the nicest kid.” Hearing that the man burst into tears, only managing to say, “Oh my goodness…!”

Thanks to this kind and humble judge, there is a good chance that the man will possibly mend his ways and turn to an honest life.

Watch the video – and keep a box of tissues nearby. You will need it.

NO ONE IS BEST BUT ME

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘haughty‘ as being blatantly or disdainfully proud or which in simple terms mean having or showing the insulting attitude of people who think that they are better, smarter or more important than other people.

No doubt being haughty or rather having haughty eyes is considered to be one among the seven things hated by Lord Almighty. The eyes are the mirror to the heart. It is believed that if one looks into the eyes the mechanisms of the heart could be understood. So it also means, if a person has haughty eyes, the overall attitude of his heart is to look down upon and scorn others.

Now this is something we really don’t want to encounter. Haughtiness or pride is spontaneous and this gives rise to a host of other sins.

What causes a person to be haughty?

Friends, it can be anything one does best or a possession but the biggest thing that triggers haughtiness is a consideration that ‘I am above all’. A haughty person acknowledges less and attributes his blessings, his successes all to himself. A feeling that ‘no one is best but me’ empowers the heart of a haughty person. He or she doesn’t think for a second time to lie, shed innocent blood and spread violence. All this is done only to be at the top.

The scriptures speak about such people who wanted to be at the top. Lucifer, Nimrod, Belshazzar, King Saul were among them. The result of such arrogance is nothing but downfall.

The philosophy behind terrorism is haughtiness. Certain people are proud of the way they profess their love for their religion. Professing love for God without humility is not righteousness.

Haughtiness only leads to downfall as the person is concerned with gathering treasures of the Earth which is passing away.

The real treasure lies in not staying at the top but acknowledging the Most High and in building relationships of a healthy kind with your fellow beings in encouragement and motivation.

Now that’s called making a difference.

SELF-RESPECT IS VITAL BUT EGO IS DANGEROUS

“No matter what you have achieved in life; no matter who you are, if you are arrogant – it all goes down the drain.”

I read this somewhere as a child and it stuck a cord inside me. I understood to the core that there is no reason or excuse to be arrogant – and I never took that path. Rather I went to the other extreme. I was too humble, so much that I allowed people to step over me and use me like a doormat. I was a low confident child who also suffered from being bullied. With time and age I understood the real meaning of ego, arrogance and how it is different from respecting yourself – and this is what I want to write about.

“I can do this job very well” is self-respect and confidence. “Only I can do this job and nobody else is as smart to do it” is arrogance and over-confidence. Self respect says that I should be valued exactly the way I value others and myself. Humility says I will always value others for what they deserve. Humility says that every human being is special and has certain qualities that I can get inspired from. Ego says that I am supreme and nobody else is better than me.

What happens when you don’t respect yourself enough? The world doesn’t respect you either and you get treated like a doormat. What happens when you are arrogant and egotistic? The world doesn’t respect you yet again because you don’t respect the world. The only way to be in harmony with the world is to respect yourself and others. One should be humble enough to say that I love myself and my world; I respect myself and my people; I will take care of myself and people around me; I will continue to find inspirations to be a better person and will inspire others to be better as well; I believe that I am special and so is every other human being.

So, understand the thin line between self respect and ego that we all have to watch out for – where one is vital and other is dangerous.

WHY DON’T YOU JUST FLIP THE COIN?

A coin has two sides. And we always look at the side facing us and not the other.

Its a weird sentence to start with. But though we live in a simple world its our own emotions that complicate everything around. As much as we appear to be sensible and confident there is always that insecurity and vulnerability that is seeded deep within us and we cannot shake it off. It’s a feeling that never goes away. It is this deep rooted feeling that gives birth to our ugly side. The façade that we put on for the world to see. The arrogance, the ego, the pride , the vanity… All to  keep the world at bay, so that nobody peers close enough to look at how utterly lost you.

How unbelievable beat down you feel. The haughty eyes hide the fear underneath that if we show our real self we won’t be accepted for who we are, that we will be mocked and be called weak or naive. So we do the same to everybody around. We mock them, judge them. Because how dare they… how dare they have the guts to do what we failed at…?

So like I said, two sides of the same coin. Two stories of the same person. One arrogant and the other  lost. One proud and the other insecure. One egoistic and the other vulnerable. Simple life but complicated beings.

So food for your thoughts is how much better would it be if we just drop the act… Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we just flip the coin and show what we are really made of…? ‘A Scared bunch of people with a good heart and kind soul…!’