the missing component in smart goal setting

If there’s one thing we know about goals, they have to be SMART, right?  After all, that’s what we’ve been told for years. The only thing that matters is that your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound.  
 
While that looks great on paper—and clearly it’s easy to remember—it doesn’t go far enough for those who want to achieve big things.

Think about it.  If what you dream about is a 3-day workweek, time spent with family and friends, and enough money to to pay the bills and take a beach vacation each year, you can write that into your SMART goals.  But, it seems pretty clear that those safe, smart goals alone aren’t going to get you there.

Applying a combination of "SMART" and Mindset

What you need is the mindset to know that you CAN achieve them.  Consider what happens when you set an "attainable" goal of earning a six figure income?  You may need to work more.  You might spend more on ads or product creation.  You might even reach out to more potential clients.  Rather than just focusing on goals that are attainable and realistic, savvy entrepreneurs know that the key to incredible success lies in their mindset.

You don’t strive to earn six figures without a growth type of mindset.  Mindset is a simple idea discovered by world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck in decades of research on achievement and success -- a simple idea that makes all the difference.  Carol explains the following in her book Mindset: The New Psychology Success:
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In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success — without effort. They’re wrong.

In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work — brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. Virtually all great people have had these qualities.

Grow your potential

So if you are in the process of goal setting, which many of you are this time of year, think about how setting SMART goals and your positive growth mindset go hand-in-hand.  

If you need help with these things, just reach out to me.  I'd love to help you with either 1:1 mentoring or coaching in this area.​

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