If you would like to manage our time better, then setting SMART goals will benefit you! It can help you with your time management for your small business, school and personal life.

A SMART goal is an acronym that stands for goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based. The purpose of creating a SMART goal is to help you use your time and resources productively when starting a small business or a project. As you create your goals, consider the different functions of a SMART goal:

• Specific: Your goal is definable and precise. It focuses on one specific area you would like to improve.
• Measurable: There is a quantifiable way to track your progress throughout the duration of the goal to determine whether you achieve your goal.
• Attainable: The goal is realistic. You have the means to achieve it in a reasonable amount of time with the required resources and skills.
• Relevant: The goal you choose is significant in some aspects of your life, whether it’s a business or personal goal.
• Time-Based: You have given yourself a specific deadline to complete the goal.

Here are the 7 steps to create you SMART Goals:

Plan Your SMART Goals

In order to clearly define your goals, ask yourself:

Specific: What goal do I want to accomplish?

Measurable: How will I know when I have accomplished this goal?

Attainable: Is this goal realistic? Can I attain this goal in the determined time? Do I have the resources to complete it?

Relevant: How is this goal relevant to my overall priorities?

Time: When do I want to complete this goal?

Create a list

Once you have come up with your SMART goals, create a list to focus on tasks that need to be done. If you’re working on a large project, breaking down your tasks into smaller attainable goals in monthly, weekly and daily tasks can help you complete your goal on time.

Block Time on your schedule

After you have created your list, block time on your daily schedule. Time blocking is a practical tool you can use to organize tasks into specific time slots. Try to prioritize more challenging task for the beginning of your day and less challenging towards the end of your day.

Delegate tasks

Delegating tasks to others can reduce your stress level and allow you to be more productive when completing other tasks.

Take a Break

It’s important to take time to focus on taking small breaks to avoid work-related fatigue. By adding time-specific breaks, outside of lunch, into your schedule that give you time to refocus and gain perspective. Have a snack, go for a quick walk or spend some time playing a game on your phone. Regardless of what you choose, it’s beneficial to the quality of your work to give yourself a break from work-related tasks.

Eliminate Distractions

Get rid of any distractions that may hinder you from completing a project on time. Common distractions include using shopping online, checking unrelated emails, having unrelated conversations with colleagues or streaming music or videos in the background. Once you eliminate these distractions, it’s usually a lot easier to focus on each individual task. Setting boundaries and eliminating these distractions can help you become more efficient and effective at work.

Focus on one task at a time.

Many people attempt to multitask throughout the workday in order to complete tasks, but focusing on one item at a time allows you to focus completely on that task. Typically, devoting all of your time and energy to one task at a time improves the overall speed at which you finish the task and produces higher quality results than focusing on multiple tasks at once.