How to Coach Yourself and Others Essential Knowledge For Coaching | Page 73

Let's look at this more closely by evaluating this objective in
terms of each of the 5 Easy Steps:
STEP ONE - SPECIFIC - is this objective specific?
Do we know WHAT we are looking at here? NO, we do not - our
objective is too vague: we do not know how much we will have
to save, nor what car we want to buy.
Vague objectives are not inspiring. We have to be able to
visualize our goal: see ourselves enjoying the success when the
goal will be met.
STEP TWO - MEASURABLE - Do we know HOW MUCH or HOW
MANY?
You may have a perfectly clear idea about the price of the car you
want to buy and the amount of money you will have to save, but
you omitted to write the numbers down. In three months from
now, how will you know that you are on the good track? How
will you know when an extra effort is required?
STEP THREE - ACTION ORIENTATED - Does it describe a result?
Again, the words "save" and “buy a car” are too vague I'm afraid.
What do they really represent? How would you measure this?
How could you know that you are actually saving enough? Can
you find a better way to describe the result you are looking for?
STEP FOUR - REALISTIC - Is this goal realistic and relevant to the
business owner?
Again, it doesn’t show from the description of your goal. How
much are you earning? How much can you save? How will you
spread your saving effort? How will you anticipate possible
changes in earnings, expenses, price of the car, unexpected costs,
…? In a smart goal you will have taken these elements into
account,
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