Bonus Episode 60: From Goals to Growth: The SMART Technique for Personal Achievement

Ready to level up your goal-setting game and achieve more than ever before? Discover the power of the SMART Goal-Setting Technique in our latest episode, where we break down how to set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound goals that will lead to greater success.

But why stop there? In the second half of this episode, we dive into strategies for personal and professional improvement, guiding you through mindset shifts, leadership development, and goal clarification. We share actionable tips to advance your career and resources to help you take charge of your life. Don't miss this opportunity to learn valuable advice and strategies for becoming the best version of yourself - with the SMART Goal-Setting Technique and a commitment to growth, there's no limit to what you can accomplish.

Please connect with me on:

1. Instagram: stephen.mclain
2. Twitter: smclainiii
3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant
4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiii

For more resources, please visit Finance Leader Academy:  financeleaderacademy.com. 

1. On the website, you can download the Become a Finance Leader Guide. You can use this guide to build your Finance Leadership skills so you can help senior leaders develop and execute the strategy.
2. I also offer a course, Advance Your Finance and Accounting Career: Developing a Promotion Strategy that Sets You Apart.

Chapters

• 0:00 Using the SMART Goal-Setting Technique
• 10:18 Preparing for Improvement and Achievement

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hi, this is Stephen MacLean of the Finance Leader Podcast. This is bonus episode number 60. I hope you're having a great day, i am for sure. In last week's bonus episode, i asked you to review your goals, since we are approaching mid-year. For this week, i'm asking you to ensure you are using the smart goal-setting technique, which is widely used in business and organizations. The acronym SMART stands for Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and Time Bound. So this week I want to share episode 102, use the SMART Goal-Setting Method for Better Goal Planning. Let's make sure your goals are properly planned so you can execute them. I believe in you and in this community and I want you to succeed, so use SMART. Also, please check out Finance Leader Academy. I offer a course called Advanced Your Career. I added the link in the show notes so you can preview this course. There is an introductory video there to explain how this course can help you, And please download the free Become a Finance Leader Guide. I know that can help you too.

Speaker 1: 1:10

Season 15 of the Finance Leader Podcast will debut on July 11. Please enjoy this on-court episode. Episode 102, use the SMART Goal-Setting Method for Better Goal Planning, thank you. Last episode, i talked about goal setting for 2023 and that I want you to be bold this year. That's bold B believe, o overcome, l leadership and D decisive When we set our goals. Let's use the SMART Goal Setting Methodology so we set realistic goals that we can achieve, because we have properly thought through the best way to plan them and achieve them. You know how I feel about New Year's resolutions because at this point, most people have given up on them since they had no solid foundation in being achieved. Let's plan out our goals that make sense for us. Please enjoy the episode.

Speaker 1: 2:12

Welcome to the Finance Leader Podcast, where leadership is bigger than the numbers. I am your host, stephen McClain. This is the podcast for developing leaders in finance and accounting. Please consider following me on Twitter, facebook, instagram and LinkedIn. My usernames and the links are in this episode's show notes.

Speaker 1: 2:33

This is episode number 102 and I'll be talking about the SMART Goal Setting Technique, and I will highlight the following topics Number one be focused. Number two the SMART Goal Setting Technique. And three ensure you are being bold this year. Legendary football coach Lou Holtz said if you're bored with life, you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things. You don't have enough goals. In this episode. I want to briefly talk about the SMART Goal Setting Technique. I am sure you have heard about it previously and even used it. It's a great technique to ensure you properly plan out your goals.

Speaker 1: 3:14

Smart Goal Setting is a framework for setting and achieving specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound goals. It is a widely used method for setting and achieving goals in both personal and professional settings. The acronym stands for Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and Time-Bound. Using the SMART framework can help ensure that goals are clear, actionable and achievable. I love goals and goal setting and I love achievement even more The focus and the effort to achieve something you want. That is what goal setting and achievement is all about.

Speaker 1: 3:51

We talked extensively last episode about goal setting. Have you written out your goals for this year? If yes, that's great. If not, you are not late at all. It may take a few weeks to uncover and decide what you want to achieve for this year, and that's okay. If you have them, let's use the SMART Goal Setting methodology to plan out our goals correctly.

Speaker 1: 4:13

What is your long-term goal Now? this can change over time, but what do you want to achieve in your professional life? Ensure you plan backwards from that goal so that you know what steps you need to achieve it? Do you know your long-term goal? Is it to be CFO or even CEO? Maybe a CPA in a firm, a business owner or something else? There are so many possibilities.

Speaker 1: 4:36

Last episode, i also talked about being bold. This year, that's B believe, o overcome L, as in leadership, and D decisive. Bold is a growth mindset technique to unlock your potential. I want you to be decisive about your goals, decide what you want to accomplish and then commit action to that plan. The productivity tip I want to share with you this week is to ensure that your goals are broken down into smaller and actionable chunks. When you break down your goals into smaller and smaller pieces, you are more likely to achieve your bigger goal. So break down your goal into smaller and smaller parts, as small as you can, and then you will find yourself accomplishing more. One more thing having a written plan will set you up for success and ensure you are updating that plan as you make progress and as you make decisions about your goals. Updating your plan monthly is ideal. Now put time on your calendar to ensure you get it done. Broken down goals and a written plan. Now let's talk about more, about goal setting and smart goal setting.

Speaker 1: 5:41

Number one be focused. To be successful, you must be committed to excellence. Be committed to achieving your goals. You have to focus, you have to eliminate the distractions and become hyper focused, which means your routines have to change and your approach has to change. Now, some of you won't believe this, but multitasking is really a myth and the thought of it is ruining your ability to achieve the hard task. Those of you who swear by multitasking believe you are getting more done and you believe you truly are working on more than one task or problem at a time And the thought of it is ruining your ability to achieve the hard task, which is your long term goal. But what it is is slowing you down and what really happens is that both tasks you are working on becomes less than excellence. You are actually achieving less and you are not really achieving your potential. And since you are not focused on one particular task, both tasks are suffering. By focusing on one task, objective or goal at a time, you can hyper focus on that one area so you achieve it with excellence. One area, so you can focus. Focus is key. Number two the smart goal setting technique.

Speaker 1: 6:54

Smart goal setting is a method of setting goals that is widely used in business and organizations. The acronym SMART stands for Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and Time Bound. These five criteria are used to ensure that goals are well defined and achievable. Specific A specific goal has a clear target or outcome that is well defined. It should answer the questions of what, why and how. Now, measurable a measurable goal can be quantified or tracked in some way. This allows for progress to be monitored and the goals achievement to be evaluated. Achievable The goal should be realistic and attainable. It should be something that can be achieved with the resources and capabilities that are available. Relevant A relevant goal is one that aligns with the overall objectives and mission of the organization or individual. Time bound a goal should have a specific deadline for completion. This creates a sense of urgency and helps to focus efforts towards achieving the goal. Using the SMART criteria when setting goals can help to ensure that they are clear, achievable and align with the overall objectives of the organization or individual. It can also help to increase motivation and focus, making it more likely that the goal will be achieved.

Speaker 1: 8:16

Number three I want you to be bold in 2023. I talked about this in the last episode. I want you to apply bold this year in everything you do. Bold, which is believe, overcome leadership and decisive. Believe is knowing that you can achieve the goals you are setting for yourself. It's important to believe that you can get it done Now. Being bold is about ensuring you go after and achieve your long-term goal. Now go get it For action today.

Speaker 1: 8:45

First, i want you to validate your long-term goal. Do you have that written down and planned out? Ensure you know your long-term goal. It can change, so it's good to review and update it so you know what you're committing yourself to. Next, i want you to format your goals using the smart technique I talked about today. Look over your goals and ensure you have addressed the acronym SMART Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and Time Bound. Review your goals and your individual development plan. Now one more thing do your daily routines and habits support your goal achievement process? Now, if you have not already, i want to invite you to download a leadership guide for finance and accounting leaders. You can go to financeleaderacademycom and select Free Leadership Guide on the main menu. It's free and it may give you a few ideas for your own leadership development.

Speaker 1: 9:38

Today I talked about the SMART goal setting technique and I highlighted the following points Number one be focused. Number two the SMART goal setting technique. And three ensure you are being bold this year. Goal setting is important because it provides direction and focus and helps individuals and organizations to achieve their desired outcomes. By setting clear, measurable and achievable goals, individuals and organizations can track progress and measure success. I love goal setting and achievement, and I hope you do too. High-performing professionals want to be around other high performers who are focused and ready to achieve.

Speaker 1: 10:18

Now, next episode, i will be talking about preparing yourself for improvement and achievement. We are going to address our mindset, which is a topic close to my heart, just like leadership and goal setting. I hope you enjoyed the Finance Leader podcast. I am dedicated to helping you grow your leadership skills, to change your mindset and to clarify your goals so you advance your career. You can find this episode wherever you listen to podcasts. If this episode helped you today, please share and leave a quick review so that others may find the podcast Until next time. You can check out more resources at financeleaderacademycom and sign up for my weekly updates so you don't miss an episode of the podcast. And now go lead your team and I'll see you next time. Thank you.