Setting Goals Using the Smartest Method

Copyright © 2014 by Brian McAleer.

ISBN:      Softcover   978-1-4990-0105-1

                eBook         978-1-4990-0104-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 04/25/2014

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Summary

Introduction

How to use this book

Chapter 1: S—How to make your goal Small & Specific

Chapter 2: M—How to make your goal Measurable & Manageable

Chapter 3: A—How to make your goal Attainable & Achievable

Chapter 4: R—How to make your goal Realistic & Relatable

Chapter 5: T— How to make your goal Time-Framed & Task-Orientated

Chapter 6: E—How to make your goal Energised & Excited

Chapter 7: S—How to make your goal Stated & Shared

Chapter 8: T—Take the First Step

Chapter 9—The Eleven Principles of Success

Conclusion:   The Road Ahead

Acknowledgements

Book’s never just happen; they are the combined experience of years of reading, writing, learning, soul searching and questioning. I have taken this road for the past ten years, and met many people along the way who helped shape me and thus, were part of this book becoming a reality.

To my first mentor, Steven Bettles, who taught me to actively follow my passions and that persistence creates opportunities. To Bill Kendall, who lead the way on a little youth project all those years ago and inspired me to become a Youth Worker. To Tim Kedge, who is no longer with us; your energy and vision for children has influenced not just me, but countless others. To Sandy Ewing, for coaching me at the start of my journey and encouraging me to pursue Life Coaching myself. To Keith McGinn, for being my teacher of Youth Work;. you shone the light on my own yearning to train others and continue to learn for my entire life. To Rachel Anastasi, Life Coach Extraordinaire; your commitment and excitement for coaching, and life, lifted me up when I was uncertain and pushed me beyond my limits. To Mark Collard, for inspiring me to live a life of my own design; doing what I love and doing it the best I can. Your guidance and influence led me to write this book in the first place, and I appreciate our friendship. To Emily Gowor; your wisdom and passion was a real kick-starter in my own journey, with your daily emails and tips integral to the creation of my first book. To Dr. John Demartini, for imparting your words of wisdom and genius onto the world. From seeing you speak, listening to your audio CD’s then joining you on The Breakthrough Experience, you awakened the magnificence within and helped me clarify my greatness. And a big thank you to Xlibris for publishing my little opus here; your patience and encouragement on this long journey was very much appreciated.

To the people who have followed The SMARTEST Method from its earliest days, when it was just a blog in the making. Your interest and readership kept me going as I developed this idea and fleshed it out. I know you will enjoy what the book has in store for you.

Of course, I couldn’t leave this page without acknowledging those closest to me. Firstly, to my parents for being such strong supports, teaching me the value of work, appreciating everything you have and never settling for second best. To my sisters for teaching me the many mysterious ways of women, and bringing out the man in me. To my closest mates, who I’ve known since high school. We’re still hanging out and having fun! That’s a gift and I appreciate our friendship and the company more and more as the years continue.

Lastly, to my own little family. My gorgeous daughter Lucy, who came into this world in 2013; your bright smile and happy face light up every day and you’ve brought out the best in me. I’m proud to be your daddy. And to my beautiful wife Nicole; our love and connection is deep and you’re my best friend. Your ongoing support as I pursue these crazy dreams and goals is so important and I cherish everything about you. Looking forward to the rest of our lives together as one.

And now over to you, dear Reader. I would like to thank you for choosing this book as the next step in your journey. The path to personal growth and self-awareness is long and winding, offering many options and ideas; I appreciate you considering the idea I present to you here. I believe in it whole heartedly and also believe you will be pleasantly surprised as you move through its pages. And this is just the beginning…

Foreword

by Warren Frehse

Brian writes from the heart and this has the seeds of a best-seller within it. In the noisy distraction of life, getting what you need, let alone what you want is increasingly difficult. Brian sets out the steps you really need to both achieve and believe in yourself to really make a difference. He gently guides and persuades you to become better than what you think you are. He helps to open up your true potential. He takes you beyond the small self to unearthing the Big Self within you. That’s what really sets this book apart from the typical goal setting stuff out there. This is powerful. I’ll say it again, this is really powerful! Brian lives, eats and breathes what he preaches too. His own story is weaved through the pages, making the steps come alive, so you actually feel his journey interwoven with the one you are about to take. You actually feel you have a trusted partner with you. He quotes the greatest thinkers in this field. This is the book that you don’t leave on your bedside table. You take it with you… to school, college or work. It is your friend and guide to a new future. Once you start it, you get the urge to live it, then everything changes… for the better.

—Warren Frehse, Author, Manage Your Own Career:

Reinvent Your Job; Reinvent Yourself

Summary

Short on time? Not sure if this book is for you? No worries! Here’s a summary of The SMARTEST Method and what you can expect from using it to set your goals.

Each chapter dedicates time to each part of the method. You will be taken through a process of self-analysis and personal review before you start putting your goal together. This helps the whole method make sense and become integrated into how you then approach your outcome.

S—Small & Specific

Small—the method begins with you setting a goal that is sizeable, chunked down and won’t require a lot from you too soon. The area of perspective is explored and the benefits of being in the game of success for the long haul. Ideally, your goal should be the stepping stone to a bigger goal.

Specific—getting associated to your outcome through your senses, you’ll soon know what it looks, sounds, smells and feels like as clear as crystal. Being able to describe your outcome freely and descriptively will start to come quite naturally to you.

M—Measurable & Manageable

Measurable—beginning at the end, you will be instructed on how to work backwards in identifying your step-by-step process. Or learn how to find a coach/mentor who has achieved the goal you want and the process of modelling how they did it to achieve the outcome. These methods/strategies/steps become your measurements and what you refer to so you can stay on track while working towards your goal.

Manageable—we’ll explore how to work on a process you feel like you can manage, proceeding to gradually push yourself out of your comfort zone further, with each step and each goal. This chapter will ask you to be genuinely honest with what you feel you can manage, but also reminds you to keep in mind that you make yourself feel the way you do. Once you’ve learnt to master your feelings, you’ll then be asking yourself What’s really possible?

A—Attainable & Achievable

Attainable—learn how to set a goal that is either a real, tangible item or result you can attain or which others will give to you, either physically or meta-physically. Look at what you have  around you and what others have achieved before you that was attained through a proven strategy.

Achievable—considering what you believe is possible; for others, the world and yourself this part of the method helps you to realise that you have the power to create your own beliefs which propel you forward or hold you back. You will uncover which of your beliefs are moving you towards your goal and what other beliefs could also help you., as well as looking back over your own list of personal achievements through life. These make up the foundation of who you are and what you are capable of.

R—Realistic & Relatable

Realistic—you’ll be reminded and empowered that what’s realistic is different for everyone and you determine your own reality through your imagination. In regards to the realities bestowed upon you, this chapter advises you on the art of responding rather than reacting. Once learned, this will make you the Master of Your Destiny instead of a victim of your own circumstances.

Relatable—at this point, you will revisit your goal and honestly answer if what you want truly resonates with you. Looking inward to what inspires you, your true passion, and most importantly your highest values, you will connect your goal to these aspects. Once you’ve done this, you won’t require motivation to work on your goal—you will be driven to succeed!

T—Time-Framed & Task-Orientated

Time-Framed—before working out when and how often you will work on your goal, an activity in this chapter will help to define how you perceive and manage your time. Rediscovering how you spend your time and learning how to maximise it will reignite your appreciation for this ever-precious commodity. From here onwards, you’ll begin to make the most or of your time. Then, when you achieve your goal is really up to you.

Task-Orientated—a goal shouldn’t feel like work, but you’ll have to work to make it happen. This chapter will instruct you on how to turn your steps into tasks, each with a beginning, middle and end. Implementing these tasks repeatedly until they’re almost effortless for you, then become your new habits. This chapter will assist you in strategically breaking down your goal as well as sustaining the outcome if it needs consistent work beyond it’s realisation, i.e. staying fit, building wealth, etc.

E—Energised & Excited

Energised—thinking of your goal as a vehicle, it needs fuel to get it moving. This fuel is your energy. The more energy you put in, the more momentum and power your goal will have. You’ll learn how to tap into creative visualisation, positive language and uncovering all your reasons why you want the outcome. This is a very powerful chapter that takes your goal to a whole new level and brings it to life.

Excited—creating excitement around your goal by looking forward to the outcome with huge anticipation, will get you pumped about taking action every day. This is achieved through connecting your goal to all eight of your life areas, as well as imagining how you’ll change once you’ve achieved it. We’ll go one step further and explore how your goal could be a part of something bigger! You’ll also learn how to actively excite yourself everyday through the power of Affirmation’s.

S—Stated & Shared

Stated—this step will empower you to stay true to your goal and yourself, for when the going gets tough Declaring your own self-worth, and living with integrity and assertiveness are the focus here. In teaching yourself to be congruent with your goal by talking, walking, living and breathing your outcome, your desire becomes a powerful statement.

Shared—discover the power of Accountability by sharing your goal with a partner; someone who will hold you to your word, offer support, and provide you with feedback and positive reinforcement as you progress. Aspire to have your outcome benefit other people and get them involved in the process. In accepting that we often do more for others than ourselves, this chapter will inspire you to make a difference with your goal and leave your mark on the world.

T—Take the First Step

Take the First Step—the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. To kick off the process of working towards your goal productively, you will be lead to take action as soon as you’ve completed the planning process. We’ll also look at the definitions of success and failure, and how you can use both to serve you. By this point, you will be ready and willing to make things happen and let your vision and faith carry you to where you need to go.

After you’ve worked through the method, you will also be provided with the Eleven Principles of Success; those extra gold nuggets to use along the way. The final chapter is the conclusion, which hints at how life will be different for you once you’ve set a goal using The SMARTEST Method.

Introduction

I can predict you are a person who has already found some success in life. If you’ve picked up this book, I’ll take that as a sign you like to think outside the box. With a title like The SMARTEST Method many might assume this was a book for the already wise, intelligent and knowledgeable people of the world.