plan

How to Make SMART Goals

How to Make SMART Goals

Reading Time: 4 minutes

We are constantly dreaming and making wishes for what we want our future to be like but most of us procrastinate when it comes to actually writing down our plan for how to achieve our goals. We all know where we want to go but we don’t have a plan on how to get there. This causes us a lot of anxiety in our everyday lives. More often, we see the prize but we are not prepared for what it takes to achieve it. Having a vision is not enough. You need to know how to make SMART goals to complement your vision.

In order for us to lessen the anxiety and worries that plague us about our future, it is necessary that we come up with a plan that will give us a structure and provide guidepost to follow so we can track our progress. A vision board serves as a reminder of where you want to be but you need a plan on how to get there. One of the best methods to do this is to make S.M.A.R.T. goals.

What are S.M.A.R.T. Goals?

S.M.A.R.T. goals allow you to define what steps you need to achieve your goals and allows you to measure your progress as you advance thru each step of the plan. This acronym stands for the following aspects of goal setting:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Attainable
  • Realistic
  • Timely / Tangible

According to Antoine de Saint-Exupery, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Allen Lakein said, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”, and Napoleon Hill said, “Plan your work and work your plan.” So let’s start planning the S.M.A.R.T. way.

SPECIFIC

Create a specific goal statement. A goal stated in general terms will seem difficult or even impossible to accomplish so make sure that you make your goal statement specific. Your goal statement should answer the following questions:

  • Who is involved?
  • What do I want to accomplish?
  • Where will this happen/be implemented? – This may not always apply especially for personal goals.
  • When should this happen/be implemented?
  • Which things are needed? – These are the requirements and the current limitations.
  • Why should I achieve this? – Your reason for the purpose and/or benefits of accomplishing the goal.

As an example, a general goal would be “I want to get physically fit.” A more specific goal would be “I want to lose 15lbs by November 15 by working out at home 3-4 times a week so I can look and feel better as well as gain more confidence in social gatherings.”

Another example is if your general goal is to get out of debt, a specific goal is “I will pay an extra P2,000 a month to my credit card bill for 12 months.”

MEASURABLE

Create the specific steps that you will do to achieve your goals but make sure they are measurable so you know that you are making progress. This also means that if you see that you are not making progress doing a particular step, then you can change that specific part of the plan.

Your measurable steps should answer questions such as how much, how many and how will I know when it is accomplished.

Include specific amounts, measurements and dates so you can better track and monitor your progress each step of the way.

For example, a measurable step for the physical fitness goal would be to “exercise 30 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week”, “eat 6 small meals through out the day”, as well as “to lose approximately 2lbs per week.”

ATTAINABLE

Set attainable goals. Weight the efforts you need to make to achieve the goal. Do you have the time to make the effort? Are you willing to make that much effort in the amount of time you have defined? Make sure that the goal you set for yourself is acceptable to you personally otherwise you will only lose confidence in trying to accomplish it.

However, do make your goals challenging and avoid goals that are too easy. Set a goal that you can attain but will allow you to move forward in you plan.

As an example, maybe you would really like to go to the gym for a workout but there’s not one near your home and you need to travel early to get to work on time; you also can’t afford the extra gym fee. A more attainable option is to start your plan by buying some affordable gym equipment such as dumb bells and just work out at home instead.

REALISTIC

Make sure that the goals you set are realistic otherwise you may give up in the middle of the process. If you have financial or physical issues for example, take that into consideration as you make your goals. Try to focus on baby steps and give yourself an adequate amount of time to accomplish each step in your plan.

For example you are earning ten thousand pesos a month (P10,000). A goal to save nine thousand pesos (P9,000) a month is not realistic. In loosing weight, loosing 2lbs a week is an attainable goal compared to losing 5lbs a week. A realistic goal is more more motivating than setting the bar too high and not be able to achieve it at all.

Do your research first to make sure that what you are setting for yourself is realistically and humanly possible and break it into smaller goals if necessary. You can also ask yourself if you have achieved something similar to your goal in the past. If you have, then that is a good way to tell that your goal is realistic.

Set a realistic target but make sure it’s also challenging to you and not too easy.

TIMELY / TANGIBLE

Your goals should be timely. You should give yourself an adequate time frame to complete each step of the plan and achieve your goals. As in the goal statement example above, you should set yourself a deadline for when you should have achieved the goal.

Your goals should also be tangible, meaning you can measure the actual progress made or the exact difference from the “before” situation compared to the “after.” In short, you can experience everything with your senses to measure the progress you are making and should be making.

A timely goals allows you to know when you can give up on a step if it fails to produce results and when to begin the next step in the plan. It also allows you to know when you can celebrate a completed milestone in your plan.

So, what are you waiting for? Get a piece of pen and paper. Look at your vision board and start writing down SMART goals on how you can slowly attain the life depicted in your vision board. Do bear in mind though that it is not going to be easy. There will be a lot of challenges ahead but there is a way to how to make your journey a lot easier.


First published in Pinoy Smart Living on 03.22.2019
Original Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Posted by H.J. Rangas in Intellectual, 0 comments
5 Tips on How to Get A New Wardrobe

5 Tips on How to Get A New Wardrobe

Reading Time: 4 minutes

If your closet is crowded because of too many clothes and you’re not wearing most of them, then it’s time to clean out your closet and get a new wardrobe. If you’ve just graduated from college and need clothes to go to work, or you’ve lost weight and your old clothes don’t fit you anymore, or if you just want to look differently to align with your future goals, then a new wardrobe is a good idea.

Here are some tips to get you started on getting a new wardrobe.

1. Review Your Lifestyle

Take a look at your daily schedule and see what activities you often do. Do you exercise daily? Then you need some exercise clothes. Does your office require corporate attire?

Then to dress for success, you will need some tops, bottoms and a blazer or a suit for your daily work. Assess the kind of clothes that you need for daily activities as these will be the items that you will need to invest in first.

Of course, you will need to put in your list some clothes for activities like going out to dinner with friends or for swimming or clothes for the airport if you travel a lot. Consider the types of footwear that you will need to go with each clothing category too.

2. Declutter Your Closet

Now that you have an assessment of what clothes you need to for your lifestyle, it’s time to do the same for your closet. Sort them out according to the different activities that you use them for. Then for each category, decide which ones you can keep for your new wardrobe and which ones to toss, sell or give away.

You will need to be ruthless about deciding which clothes to actually keep and let go of because this is the only way you can make room for new items in your closet. If you want to achieve the lifestyle that you truly want, then you can start by dressing for success. Tailoring your closet staples to your goals is a good first step.

3. Create a Plan

Clearing out your close space should help you declutter your mind as well. Then it’s time to sit down with a pen, paper and a calculator and create a plan.

First, review the clothes you are keeping and list down what clothing items you need to buy in order to complete your ward robe. If you’re aiming for a promotion to girl boss, consider these tips on power dressing must-haves. If you’re just starting out to build your wardrobe, then check if you already have the basic pieces in your closet or check out the must have’s for a man’s wardrobe or a woman’s wardrobe.

Next, you will need to create a budget for the new clothes you will buy. Figure out what each item of clothing costs and how much you will need in total to buy them all. Remember to look for good quality items so that they will last for a long time. Your wardrobe is an investment after all. Then, see how much of your budget you can save for new clothes each month.

4. Go Shopping

Once you’ve figured out your shopping list and your budget, you can set your plan of attack. You can decide to save until you can buy all of the items you need in one go. Or you can buy one to two items each month.

A good tip is to shop in different stores instead of the ones you used to go to. This way, you can see different clothing styles and even sharpen your fashion sense as to what combinations of styles you can do for your own wardrobe. Consider these tips on how to look expensive on a budget.

Remember to buy the ones you need at the moment first and save up on buying the others items that you will need for a later season.

5. Organize Your New Wardrobe

Now that you have new clothes in your closet, it’s time to organize your closet again. This time, display all the clothing items that you will use daily. You can mix and match them or color coordinate them if you want. You can also start pairing them up with the accessories and shoes and bags that you have.

There will be clothes that you won’t use as yet so store them neatly so you that easily take them out when you’re ready to wear them for the next season.

Once you’ve completed your wardrobe staples, then go ahead and enjoy the experience. In the future, if you decide to change your style and create your own, then you will have an easier time in making the transition.

We hope these wardrobe tips help you get ready to work on your goals every day. We would love to hear about your wardrobe transformations too. If you already have a wardrobe , then check out these tips on how to organize your wardrobe.


First published on Pinoy Smart Living 07.27.2019.
Original photo by Alyssa Strohmann on Unsplash.

Posted by H.J. Rangas in Physical, 0 comments
How To Recover From Your Holiday Spending

How To Recover From Your Holiday Spending

Reading Time: 2 minutes

As you pack your Christmas decorations back in their cabinet, the money that you’ve blown away during the holidays is now finally sinking in. The mere thought of looking into your credit card account balance may even petrify you. If it’s any consolation, you are not alone in your predicament.The holiday spending hangover is ranked as the number one problem by most people at the start of a New Year according to a study made by LearnVest, an online seller of personal finance software. To put your finances in place, you need to figure out ways on how to recover from your holiday spending.


Try out these tips to get your finances back in shape after the holidays.

1. Put your plastic on hiatus.

The first thing to do is to put a stop on your credit card spending. Your bills as well as the interests will keep on piling up if you will continue using your credit card. A hiatus means to pause – pause just until you pay it in full. Use cash for your purchases instead.

2. Assess your situation.

One thing is for sure, you cannot leave your bills unopened. You will have to face them sooner or later (although later is a bad idea because once your bills become overdue you will find yourself facing unwanted late charges). Instead, gather all statements and receipts related to your holiday purchases. Sum them all up. Then arrange them from the highest to the lowest interest rates. Prioritise and settle all those that charge higher interests rates first. Take note of all payment due dates.

3. Set up a payment plan.

Once you have a figure in mind on how much you are supposed to pay off, the next thing to do is to set up a payment plan. The best option is to pay the amount in full. Although it is the best solution, it is not always viable. So instead, come up with a goal or a target date on when you want to fully pay your holiday spending. Once you have a definite goal, you need to have a smaller goal each month. Pay the maximum amount that you can on a monthly basis and calculate how long will it take you to fully pay the bills.

4. Trim your budget.

To speed up your progress, you need to limit your spending at least until all your holiday overspending has been paid off. There are various ways to reduce your monthly expenses.

Aside from trimming your expenses, this is also the best time to start using a monthly budget (if you haven’t started yet).

5. Sell items that you don’t need anymore.

The start of the year is also a good time to start cleaning your closet or your house for that matter. Get rid of items that you no longer need and sell them. The proceeds can be use to pay your holiday bills. By doing so, you not only earn extra cash but you also get to declutter your home and remove stress. 

Finding out how to recovering from your holiday spending should be your first step in having a fresh start in your financial life.


First published in Pinoy Smart Living 01.01.2019
Image Credit: Gundula Vogel from Pixabay Images

Posted by A.L. Jonas in Financial, 0 comments