When you ask people about setting goals, they seem to be in either one camp or the other – they either do it or they don’t.    One of the reasons that people don’t like setting goals is because more often than not, their goals never come to be, so they just have resolved that setting goals may work for everyone else, but not for them.

There is no doubt that setting goals is one of the best things you can do to make positive changes in your life.  But there is a strategy to setting goals in a way that will better ensure your success – you have to do it S-M-A-R-T.

S-M-A-R-T is an acronym to follow that will help you create goals that have more substance and a better chance of coming to fruition.  Setting S-M-A-R-T goals means to make them Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.  You define them clearly with a realistic, yet challenging, quantifiable, achievable, and time bound action plan. Go back and look at your goals and be sure to make them S-M-A-R-T.

Here is an example using the S-M-A-R-T method of setting your piano lesson goals:

S – Specific: Learn How to Play “Your Favorite Song”

M– Measurable: Learn one line a day.

A– Attainable:  Is this song within your level of skill and knowledge?

R– Realistic: This is similar to attainable… can you learn this song in the time frame you set for it?

T– Timely:  Set a date of completion that is also specific, measurable, attainable and realistic!

Learning how to play the piano is a joy, so set your goals accordingly and you will achieve them!