As a busy parent, I bet you (like me) sometimes have a hard time following through with your goals. What does it take to be successful with setting and achieving your goals? The busier you are, the more important it is to set realistic goals and experience the satisfaction of completing them!

When a goal fails, it is generally due to one (or more) of the following factors:

1. The goal was unreasonable.


2. You weren’t clear enough about your desired outcome.


3. You didn’t keep your commitments.

The best minds of management use a consistent standard to determine how to set goals that are the most likely to be successfully achieved. When it comes to personal or family goals, the requirements for positive outcomes are no different. Let's take a look at the gold standard for corporate goal-setting, known by the acronym SMART, to help set goals that will help maximize your chance of success.

SMART goal-setting means that goals meet certain criteria which are essential to your ability to successfully accomplish them. The letters of the acronym mean that a goal should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. Let's look at each element in detail.

Specific: The more clear you are about the desired outcome, the more likely you will be to achieve it. When setting a goal, write out exactly what you want to achieve and be clear about the benefits you’ll realize after completing it. For example: Clean out the garage is not very specific. Organize the garage, sort the five boxes in the corner, install the shelving and take the kid's used bike to the Goodwill is much better - you know when you have accomplished your goal, and you'll feel great when you are done!

Measurable: It is important that you know exactly how to measure your progress as you work towards completing your goal. This will help you stay on track and maintain a connection to your commitment. It will also give you a clear picture of when the goal will be complete. You might decide it will take two weekends and a total of six hours to organize the garage and you will know it is complete when you can (finally!) park your car in it.

Achievable: You need to decide exactly what it will take to meet your goal. Who can support you, what resources can you use and how much money will it cost? In order to clean out the garage, you might ask for help from your family. You might also make sure you have the tools required to install the shelves and some extra boxes for hauling stuff away; if there are resources you would like but can't get or afford, be reasonable about your expectations when outlining your goal. In terms of inner resources, you might need to tap into your motivation in order to make it happen. There is a reason you have been putting it off! Make the cleaning fun by putting on some music while working or offer yourself a fun treat after it is done.

Reasonable: Making sure your goal is reasonable is the most important element to being successful. Consider all the other things going on in your life and ask yourself, do I have the six hours that is required to complete this project? Make sure you are being realistic about how long it will take to complete your tasks as well. Underestimating is a common trap in failed projects. You also want to set the bar high enough that you stay motivated and feel a sense of achievement when it is finished.

Timely: When would you like your goal to be complete? Setting an end date will give you both a target and keep you on track. Finishing the garage by Oct. 15th when your parents are coming to visit is a lot more likely to put you into action than, finish it next month!

One final element to insuring success is to create accountability. Tell someone else the details of your goal and ask them to check back in with you about it by a set date. This creates an anchor outside of yourself to insure you will follow through and adds a person to motivate you!

Being successful with goals can inspire your whole family and teaches your kids a lot about what it takes to complete tasks, whether they are household chores or important school or personal projects. By inviting them to participate in the process, you are being the best kind of parent, an involved one. After all, we are here to teach these little people about what it takes to be a successful human!