What is the best way to accomplish your goals? That’s a question that many people wonder. Most of us have gone through the New Year’s resolutions path where we write down exactly what we want to do or be, get a great start on accomplishing the goal, then somehow get too busy or distracted to take it all the way to completion. Why does this happen? The answer is very likely that there was something missing in the details of what the goal was and the plan of how to accomplish it.
Most people haven’t learned specific strategies on goal setting that are the most effective at achieving what they want. It’s not anyone’s fault- it’s not something typically taught at school and often not taught at home either. By setting goals using the acronym “SMART”, you can improve your chances of achieving your life’s ambitions by streamlining your thoughts, concentrating your efforts, and making efficient use of your time and resources. In this article, we’ll define SMART goals and examine how you can use them to accomplish the things that are most important to you. Let’s get started!
What are SMART Goals?
Every aspect of business and life uses goals because they give people a sense of direction, drive, clarity, and importance. You give yourself a target to shoot for by setting goals. But goal setting is best aided by the use of SMART goals. The word “SMART” as an acronym is known as Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. In order to help you focus your efforts and improve your chances of achieving your goal in a certain amount of time, a SMART goal incorporates all of these criteria.
Each of your goals should be the following in order for you to ensure that they are specific and doable:
• Specific/Particular (simple, sensible, significant).
• Measurable/Quantifiable (meaningful, motivating).
• Achievable/Conceivable (attainable).
• Realistic/Useful (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
• Time-bound (time-based, time-limited, cost- and time-limited, timely, and time-sensitive).
Professor Rubin adds that the significance of efficacy and feedback may require updating the SMART acronym definition. It has, however, been expanded by some authors to include additional focus areas; SMARTER, for instance, includes Evaluated and Reviewed.
- Specific SMART Goals
Specific goals have a significantly higher likelihood of being achieved. The five “W” questions must be taken into account in order to make a goal specific objective:
1. Who is involved in achieving this goal?
2. What: What am I trying to achieve?
3. Where: Where will this objective be attained?
4. When: When do I want to reach this objective?
5. Why: What motivates me to pursue this objective?
A wide range of alternatives might as well generalize your goal into a fantasy. Take, for instance, saying “I want to look like I’m in shape” is quite general and not directive enough. But saying ” I want to look athletic and toned… I have to exercise 5 days per week” is considered goal-driven enough to be achievable.
- Measurable SMART Goals
A SMART goal needs to have parameters for tracking development. You won’t be able to assess your progress or whether you’re on track to meet your goal if there are no criteria. A goal can be made measurable by asking yourself:
1.How many or how much?
2. How can I tell if I’ve accomplished my goal?
3. What is the measurement of my progress?
For instance, expanding on the specific objective stated above: “I want to sign up for a gym membership at my neighborhood community center and exercise five days per week in order to have peak health and fitness. I want to reduce my body fat by one pound every week.”
- Achievable SMART Goals
In every goal, there’s always an objective or direction which makes it seem realistic enough to be achievable. SMART goals are meant to be achievable if it follows the rest of the steps mentioned in accordance with the acronym.
1. What is the price/hard work you’ll have to pay to achieve your SMART goals?
2. Is this goal something that you believe is possible in your current situation, schedule, environment, energy, obligations, etc., to do in the timeframe you would like to accomplish it?
3. What are the other objectives you must keep in mind to make your SMART goal achievable?
For example, it’s not achievable for most people to state “I want to look like an athlete in one month”. Athletic fitness levels take a substantial amount of time, energy, and effort to accomplish. It is more achievable to state: “I want to look like an athlete in one year. By exercising 45 minutes per day, 5 days per week, every week for the next 12 months, my goal is achievable”.
- Realistic SMART Goals
A SMART goal needs to be realistic, meaning it can be accomplished given the time and resources at hand. If you have faith in your ability to achieve it, a SMART goal is probably realistic. It should be progressively achievable as time goes on. Think about it:
1. Is the objective attainable and realistic?
2. Given the available time and resources, can the goal be achieved?
3. Can you dedicate yourself to achieving the objective?
An example of a realistic goal regarding health would be, “I will exercise 20 minutes per day, 3 days the first week, 20 minutes per day 5 days a week the second week, 30 minutes per day on 5 days of the third week, and 45 minutes per day on 5 days of the week the fourth week.” This plan of realistic expectations of a person’s ability to adjust to exercise gives them the highest chance of successfully completing their fitness goals. The key is to plan a system for how success is most reasonably able to be achieved.
- Timely SMART Goals
A goal needs to be guarded by a timeframe, which essentially means each and every one of your SMART goals needs to have a starting point and a deadline. Without a deadline, there will be no sense of urgency and, consequently, less drive to complete the task. Time will help instill discipline. Think about it:
1. Does my objective have a time limit?
2. When do you hope to reach your objective?
Using the aforementioned objective as an example: “I will sign up for a gym membership at my neighborhood community center on August 1. I’m going to exercise five days a week, every week for the next 12 months to get healthier. I want to reduce my body fat by one pound every week. If I lose four pounds of fat in August, I will have achieved my goal by the end of the month. If I continue to follow that schedule and plan (week by week and month by month), I will reach my fitness goal by the end of 12 months.
What are the Benefits of Setting SMART Goals?
Setting broad, unattainable goals like “I want to be the best at X” is a common way for people and companies to allow even the best of intentions to end up on the shelf collecting dust. This objective lacks direction and is much too vague.
By making goals specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely, SMART goals position you for success. The SMART method encourages you to go further, provides you with a sense of purpose, and aids in organizing and achieving your objectives.
Final Thoughts
Using the acronym SMART in your goal setting is a powerful tool that gives you the clarity, motivation, and focus you need to reach your objectives. Anyone, anywhere can use SMART goals without the need for specialized software or training.
Setting SMART goals will ensure that achieving your objectives, whether they are personal or professional, will lead you to be, do, and have the things in life that are most important to you. You can achieve ANYTHING that you set your mind to. SMART goals will help you get there!