You’re probably familiar with SMART goals. S-M-A-R-T stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.
I have my own goal achievement formula that I share throughout my audio programs, blog and presentations. But others, like SMART, are of course valuable. And here’s another. OATS. O-A-T-S.
It’s simple, straightforward and ideal for short-term goals.
- O equals objectives. What are the results you want to achieve this week?
- A equals activities. What specifically do you need to do?
- T equals time. How long is each step going to take you?
- And S equals schedule it. Write each activity in your time system immediately.
All viable and reliable goal achievement systems will stress the importance of actually writing the time into your daily schedule. With the volume of both routine and urgent work we face every day, leaving goal-related tasks hanging on some to-do list is a sure way to NOT get your goal.
Action – Use this little tool for the next 2 weeks. See what happens. I’m confident you will see a difference in the way your results are created.
If you have trouble consistently achieving goals, long or short term, use the experience and expertise of a goal achievement system. Whether mine or someone else’s doesn’t matter, just find a system that works for you!