Working From Home (SMART Goals)

Starting with goals
One of the most important behavioral characteristics to build and hone when working from home is self-direction. It’s up to you to determine what’s most important, organize your time, plan your goals and tasks, and meet deadlines. The ability to control your workflow can be empowering, but without anyone holding you accountable or checking in on your progress, you must consistently set goals and priorities on your own.

A good place to start is applying the principle of SMART goals because it helps to make your goals clear and measurable.
The best way to build SMART goals is to focus on making your goals:

» Specific and synergistic: Include details on how to achieve goals and align with your personal aspirations.

» Measurable and motivating: Define what the end result should look like and why it’s exciting for you to accomplish.

» Achievable and agreed on: Confirm that the goal is possible given your knowledge and resources, and agree that it’s important. The bigger the goal, the more resources are usually needed and the more time it will take.

» Relevant and rewarding: Relate your goals to the work you do and understand the impact achieving your goals will have on others.

» Time-bound and thoughtful: Have a start date and deadline and a well- thought-out plan to achieve your goals. If working with a team, determine important milestones for each goal and estimate the amount of time needed to achieve each goal by the deadline. Crosscheck these milestones against the amount of focused work time you have available to get it done.

Motivating goals are important to keep visible by displaying them prominently in your workspace and reviewing them weekly to gauge your progress. You may not have coworkers to keep you accountable, but seeing your goals every day will keep you focused.
Flexibility is key. Even the best-laid plans often require modifications. Don’t beat yourself up if you need to do some tweaking to the timeline on your goals or ask your team or client for an extension. Make the necessary adjustments and keep moving forward.

Source: Working From Home by Tara Powers, MS, et al.