HOPE YOU’RE HUNGRY—IT’S TIME TO BE SMART AT EATING PINK ELEPHANTS

Self-Assessment Quiz – True or False:

1. I know what I want to do next with my career.
2. I know someone who does what I want to do.
3. I have a written plan.
4. I have a timeline for achieving what I want.

We’re in week four of the new year, and we’ve done a lot already!

• Your mind is focused on “I CAN DO THIS!”
• You have pin-pointed your career problems.
• You’ve identified a few solutions.

Check! Check! Now all we need to do is to eat some Pink Elephants.

Say what now?

I believe in eating Pink Elephants. Pink Elephants are larger-than-life, almost out of reach, insurmountable, audacious goals. I eat them almost every day. I believe you can, too. Hopefully, by the end of today’s post you’ll see the benefit in answering TRUE to question #3 in the self-assessment quiz above. Because you have to be SMART about your goals if you want to eat Pink Elephants well.

S—Specific

M—Measurable

A—Attainable

R—Realistic

T—Time Based

Specific: Let’s say you want to earn six figures. That’s great, can you get more specific? Are your six figures $100,000, $200,000, $200,011? Be specific about exactly what you want to earn, and write it down somewhere where you can see it. Every. Single. Day.

Measurable: Okay, so you want to earn $100,000. How many hours of work are needed to make $100K? How many years of seniority would you need? What qualifications do you need to get to this range?

Attainable: Let’s say you already make $80,000. Getting a raise of $20,000 doesn’t seem so far off with the right kind of focus and dedication. But earning $100,000 right out of high school would be less attainable, for example.

Realistic: What do you realistically need to do to get to six figures? More education? Move to another location where your higher-paying job is available? Be aware of what is realistically needed to achieve your goal and get prepared.

Time Based: This is a big one. How much time do you need to get to your $100,000? Five months, a year, ten years? Set a time frame and stick to it. Write a declarative sentence like, “I will make $100,000 a year by (­date) working at ________ as the ________!” (Be sure to include that exclamation mark!)

Stay focused, people! Write your Pink Elephants down on paper. Do it NOW before you forget. While you’re still motivated. Before your Boo calls and you get distracted. Be specific. Next week, we’ll actually SEE what they look like! Same time. Same place. Fist pump!