This post is an excerpt from chapter 18 of my book Calling All Artists. As we approach the end of the year, I thought it would be appropriate to start thinking about goals for next year. I suggest doing this in November before the holiday season begins so you can hit the ground running in January! Enjoy!

You’ll fail at 100% of the goals you don’t set.  —Mark Victor Hansen

Once you are clear on your calling, you set goals, plan your work, then work your plan. In order to plan, you have to set S.M.A.R.T. goals. I was introduced to this goal setting system last December when I went through Micheal Hyatt’s five day goal setting course. Prior to that my goals were usually missing on of these 5 very important components, but I didn’t even realize it. This simple system took my goal setting to an entirely new level.S.M.A.R.T. goals are:1. Specific: Your goals must be clear and detailed, not broad, general or vague.2. Measurable: You must be able to measure progress toward your goals.3. Achievable: Your goals must be realistic and attainable.4. Relevant: Your goals must matter. They must line up with you overall plans and strategy.5. Time-bound: Your goals must have a time frame and a target date or deadline.

I honestly didn’t know how powerful each of these components was until I implemented them into my goals this year. I have been setting goals for years, however I have found this method to be revolutionary. I wish I would have learned it years ago. It’s amazing what one small pivot can accomplish in a short time.

What I’ve found is that even some great goal setters and achievers, are missing one of these components. Leaving one component out won’t kill your goal setting but it weakens it’s effectiveness. This method just flat out works.

Next week I’ll share more from that chapter, but in the mean time if you haven’t read the book you can get it here. Goal setting really should come after the hard work of nailing down your creative calling. Stay tuned!