Goals are the foundation of empowerment. As we observe International Women’s Month and promote women’s empowerment, we must consider how goals can help women achieve greater empowerment.

I love goals because they help us clarify our vision, direction, and purpose. I see so many women efforting and having very little satisfaction because they are not clear on what they are working towards and why.

Goals are also useful because they help us to measure our progress and results. A six-month goal towards a specific weight is easier to track than just saying you want to get in shape one day.

Another great thing about goals is that they motivate us to take action and overcome obstacles and distractions. Living as we do today, it is easy to get caught up in just existing, but having a goal and working towards something specific will help us to achieve the things we want out of life.

Some goals are vague, unrealistic, or irrelevant, which can lead to frustration, disappointment, or loss of interest. One of the most well-known goal-setting models is the SMART Criteria. This model helps us to set effective and empowering goals by ensuring they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. I’ll explain how it works in the table below.

Specific: The goal should be clear and concrete, not ambiguous or general. It should answer the questions of who, what, when, where, why, and how.	Measurable: The goal should be quantifiable and verifiable, not subjective or vague. It should have indicators or criteria that can be used to track and evaluate the progress and outcome.
Achievable: The goal should be realistic and attainable, not impossible or out of reach. It should be challenging but not overwhelming, and aligned with our abilities and resources.	Relevant: The goal should be meaningful and important, not trivial or irrelevant. It should be consistent with our values and interests, and contribute to our overall vision and mission. Time-bound: The goal should have a deadline or a timeframe, not be open-ended or indefinite. It should have a clear start and end date, and a schedule or plan for the actions and milestones.

Now that you know how it works, you can try the following three strategies to take action on your empowering goals.

Small steps, big wins

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to start something new, like a budget, a blog, or a new habit, but the thought of how much work it would take made me stop before I even began. However, I’ve had enormous success in achieving my goals when I took the time to break them down into smaller, more manageable steps. By breaking things down, the entire goal doesn’t feel as daunting, and it’s easier to prioritize the most important and urgent tasks. I can then focus on one thing at a time and steadily progress toward achieving my goals.

2. Create a Routine

You’ve got to set yourself up for success. Sometimes, we spend so much time wondering what other people are doing to us that we miss how much we can get in our own way. Create a routine or a habit that supports our goals. Schedule a specific time and place for working on our goals and stick to it. Eliminate or minimise distractions and interruptions, and reward ourselves for completing our tasks.

3. Review and Repeat

It would be a pity if you were winning and not even know it. That’s why it is essential to monitor and review our progress and results regularly. Tracking our actions and outcomes and comparing them with our expectations can be the reality check and validation we need when we are building our fascinating lives. Celebrate our wins, and learn from our failures. Adjust our goals and strategies as needed, and seek feedback and support from others.

If you found this blog post helpful or interesting, please like it and share it with other growth-oriented millennials who want to learn more about employee engagement. 

Also, don’t forget to listen to the 5 Years to 40 podcasts, where you can hear inspiring stories of people who achieved their goals before turning 40. 

Thank you for reading!