By John Pejchl
The fourth letter in the S.M.A.R.T. objectives represents your goal’s relevance.
Your goal should have meaning to you. Your goal should have a reason why you want to fulfill it, even if the reason seems silly to others.
“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”
—Fredrich Nietzsche
You can accomplish any goal if you have a reason why. The R is Relevant. The relevance is your reason why you want to achieve your goal. Understanding your why will give you the power needed at the moment your project hits a wall.
Every goal you try will hit a wall. It might be a physical wall. It might be a timing wall. It might even be a mental wall. The fact is you will hit a wall.
If you let the wall stop you, you will not achieve your goal. To break through the wall, you will need to find your why.How do you find your why and achieve a goal?
You need to ask yourself three simple questions.
Does the goal seem worthwhile?
The reason why you are doing the goal has to be worthwhile to you and you alone. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about the goal. The reason it is important to you will become the fuel that gets you through.
Is this the right time to achieve your goal?
If the timing is wrong, you won’t have the discipline to fight through your walls. While the why will strengthen your perseverance to break through, good timing will simplify your battles.
Am I the right person to reach this goal?
Hopefully, the answer is yes. If you’re not the person to achieve the goal, then why do it? There is no good reason to set a goal for something you are not right for.
Once you determine your why, you can pursue your goal with excitement and endurance. The day to day efforts that wear you out can be overcome. When you lose sight of the end line, you’ll have the strength to refocus because of your why.
To do this, picture achieving your goal. Explore how you’ll feel when you reach your goal. The excitement generated by your relevant why will help you get past your wall. You will succeed.
© 2020 by John Pejchl