Goal Setting

Our previous two discussions have focused on taking control of our wellness, and working with providers to (a) identify our health goals and (b) set a plan to help us achieve those goals.  So let’s further explore the idea of goal setting.

Research shows that the best kept goals are SMART goals.  SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely.  I’ll share my personal goal-setting process with regards to starting HealthandBlackness.com as an example as we go through each step.

• Specific.  When setting a goal, you want it to be specific.  In this step you want to answer the who, what, where, when, how, and/or why.

Late last year I began to think about what I wanted to achieve in 2016.  I had just relocated to a new city to start a new job, but found that I wasn’t feeling fulfilled at work.  So I began to brainstorm ways for me to fill that void.  I prayed about it and discussed my ideas with friends.  I asked myself what my passions and talents were.  Then I was inspired to start this blog.  So my goal became, “I would like to start a health and wellness blog for minority women before my birthday in April.”  Notice my idea for an online blog (what?), target audience (for whom?), and deadline for starting (when?) were all specific.

• Measurable. Establish criteria for measuring progress towards your goal.  “Measurable” means a number is involved–dollars, days, times per week, etc.  How will you gauge your progress, and know that your goal has been reached?  Consider journaling.  Measuring progress helps you stay on track, and also gives you milestones to celebrate along the way.

When planning Health & Blackness I considered the steps I would need to take before launching, and set a deadline for each.  I needed to come up with a name and purchase that domain, select a web host, brainstorm topics to discuss, and begin writing.  And now that the blog is live, I commit to posting at least once per week.

• Achievable.  Identify ways to attain your goal.  What resources do you have available to you?  Begin developing attitudes, abilities, skills, and funding that will help.  As your attitude and abilities evolve, your goal will seem closer…not because the goal itself has shrunk, but because you have stretched yourself to meet it.  You may also need to assess your limitations.

I was already published, so writing the content wasn’t intimidating.  I have done countless health education groups, so I was comfortable sharing my knowledge.  But I was certainly nervous about the idea of starting a blog because I knew NOTHING about launching a website!  But we can’t allow fear to stop us from reaching new heights.  So I began doing some research on the internet, and also reached out to friends who had experience with graphic design and other “techie” skills.  Fortunately I found that blogging is actually not that difficult once you set yourself up with the right software and programs.  I just had to take that first step of faith.

• Realistic.  Your goal should be something you are both willing and capable of working towards.  This is not an excuse to limit yourself, however.  Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone.  You just want to be sure that your goal is practical.

This step was pretty simple.  Once I had a well laid out plan in place, I was confident I would stick to it.  I also shared my plan with close friends and family who I knew would hold me accountable.

• Timely.  Set your own deadlines.  “Someday” and “one day” are not sufficient.  When do you want to achieve your goal?  Your deadline may vary, depending on the amount of work required to reach it.  It may take only a few weeks or months to change your eating habits, while it may take a few years to earn a degree or save enough money to purchase a home.

Again, I committed to launching my blog by my birthday.  Fortunately, I was able to beat my deadline by two months through hard work and persistence.  I’m quite confident you can do the same.

These steps can be used to help you be successful with any goal, whether personal or professional.  That feeling of achievement that comes with making your goal a reality is indescribable.  I share my story in hopes that it will inspire you to work towards something you previously thought was impossible.  If I can do it, you can too.  And I would also like to thank each of you for being a part of my dream.