As a kid I was so fascinated by stars (and I still am). My sister can attest to my infatuation with astronomy. When I finally got to have my own bedroom, I would climb out the window and spend hours on our roof, looking at the stars.
So for my love of stars I would like to feature a quote on being smart from none other than Carl Edward Sagan, a renowned American astronomer, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, science popularizer, and science communicator in astronomy and other natural sciences. Name it, he HAS it!
And I quote: “Knowing a great deal is not the same as being smart; intelligence is not information alone but also judgement, the manner in which information is coordinated and used.”
So what does it mean when you "Start Smart your Smart Start"?
First let's make a recap. If you have read and agree with my first 3 blogs then it would be safe to assume that YOU:
1. Found your true purpose (IKIGAI)
2. Assessed yourself in a laid back way to know where you are at (PERSONALITY COMPASS)
3. Organized your space to get a clear, unobstructed and accessible view of where you're going (5S)
Next stop, is to make sure that you will get to where you're going. Correct? Yes. Sounds simple. True - BUT - if the starting point is vague, then you will most probably end up working hard yet not getting anywhere at all. To avoid getting lost in translation, burning out and losing track of your end purpose, you need to draw up a PLAN. You need a drawing board.
The Drawing Board
Are you familiar with the saying "Back to the drawing board?" Simply put, it's time to start from the start. The drawing board is not necessarily physical or tangible in form. While some prefer to use pen and paper, most nowadays use more portable and virtual means such as tablets, iPads, notebooks, laptops, iPhones, and SmartPhones, to name a few, to create their own unique drawing boards. I use both pen and paper as well as smart gadgets to write down what I plan to do, especially during HR summits (when I was still head of Human Resource) and currently, when I do my blogs. Drawing boards make it possible for one to lay out and visualize the road ahead."Vision Without Execution is Just Hallucination"
Take it from the two visionaries who lived by these words and made history. Thomas Edison and Henry Ford are probably the most quotable people in world history. Their of words of wisdom and execution transcend so many generations - that's how influential they are and will continue to be.
Thomas Edison envisioned a world where light can be contained. He invented the very first incandescent light bulb and went on to develop countless more devices in the fields of electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. But did his light bulb idea lit up with just one switch? Most certainly not. A reporter once asked him, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" His iconic response was, "I didn't fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps." That was the extreme level of dedication he invested on his vision that eventually and wonderfully changed the world, forever.
Henry Ford may not have invented the automobile itself, but in his mind, he wanted to create an automobile that every American can afford. He turned the automobile from an expensive dream into a practical form of transportation. Ford's global vision, with consumerism as the key to peace, gave birth to "Fordism" or mass production of inexpensive goods coupled with high wages for workers. But was he and his idea an overnight success? Did he accomplish everything without batting an eye lash? Far from it! He went through a tarnished reputation and lacked the financial backers to realize his vision. But did he stop? Far from it! Henry Ford's journey led him to Alexander Malcomson, a coal dealer from Detroit, Michigan who funded and fueled his first successful venture into automobile manufacturing. And the rest, so to speak, was history!
Thomas Edison and Henry Ford both knew the importance of executing their visions. They kept going back to the drawing board. They wrote, executed, tested and rewrote their game plan countless times before they found their formula for success. They started smart their smart start!
How do you Smartly Start Your Smart Start?
How do you become a Thomas Edison or a Henry Ford in your own life, for yourself? We are not aiming for the universe or for the stars here. We are aiming very close to home.
Each of us have our own dreams and aspirations. No one is too young nor too old to dream, right? But how do you make IT happen?
The answer is as brilliant as a ray of starlight: Create SMART goals. Why? Because it's the smart thing to do! What exactly is a SMART goal? In general, it is a practical method or model of attaining success which is:
- Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
- Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
- Achievable (agreed, attainable).
- Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
- Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).
I have been making SMART goals for quite some time now and for me it is NOT an option. A successful business or personal goal MUST be simple, meaningful, attainable, reasonable and timely. Let's define each of these attributes of a SMART goal.
Be Specific!
Goals are clear and concise and should not be more than 250 words. For example, instead of saying “I want to look amazing!” you could say “I want to lose 20 pounds by Summer of 2020!”. The latter example is much more clear and concise, direct and specific, short and sweet.
Don't Guess. Measure!
Keeping track of the progress of your goal is important because it feeds your passion and motivation. It gives you the means to define milestones, celebrate each completion and reevaluate incomplete ones. Let's take your specific goal of losing 20 pounds by the Summer of 2020. You can probably use a table to monitor your progress. Below is a sample table you may use:
Achieve The Possible!
You defined a specific goal and set milestones but can you possibly achieve your target? Can you sustain your measure of performance? You are setting yourself up for failure if you set out to do the impossible. Instead of attempting the impossible, your goal should have the right degree of challenge in it to make it rewarding and achievable.
For example, based on the table above, you were able to meet your February target but failed to do so in March. You made adjustments and bounced back in April. However, the following month, you will need to meet the same target. At this point, can you achieve next month's target? You may even exceed it! But BE Honest. Ask yourself if you can really do it. If you feel you cannot, there is no shame in going back to your drawing board, make the necessary adjustments then commit to your new plan.
Make it Real!
Your goal has to be relevant to your overall objective. Ask yourself what do you aim to achieve with your goal. Think of the benefits you will gain. Will your goal make good use of your time? Does it even make sense? Your goal needs to be able to give positive value to your life and should be RELEVANT with the other goals that you may have.
In our sample goal, how does losing 20 pounds by the Summer of 2020 be of benefit to you? Let's go back to your more "vague" version of this goal : "I want to look amazing!" That's it, right there, is the benefit you are looking for - TO LOOK AMAZING. Your idea of looking amazing is to lose 20 pounds. When you you look or feel amazing, that gives you confidence. When you feel confident, you can wear anything you want this Summer of 2020. Who knows, maybe, your ultimate goal after all is to change your wardrobe this Summer of 2020 and the sure way to do that is to reduce your size from 12 to 8.
It's about Time!
Time should always be by your goal's side. Goals and time are bound together. Hence, effective SMART goals go hand in hand with a target completion.
Going back to our sample goal, "To Lose 20 pounds" is your goal and "by Summer 2020" is your DEADLINE. In reality, your goal is to lose 20 pounds in the next 5 to 6 months. If you achieve the goal within 5 to 6 months, then it's TIME to CELEBRATE! On the downside, if you miss the deadline then you failed your goal. When achieving goals, one cannot work without the other. That is the special relationship between GOAL and TIME.
IN A NUTSHELL:
To set yourself up for success you need to BE SMART and create
SPECIFIC goals, with clear defined
MEASUREMENTS, possibly
ACHIEVABLE, realistically
RELEVANT and consciously
TIME-BOUND.
Keep it Handy. Stay Sharp!
#StartSmart
#SmartStart
#HR
#Hour
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