SMART Goals

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If you use this technique when setting goals, you will have a far better quality of life.
If you use this technique when setting goals, you will have a far better quality of life.

Goal setting is a valuable skill and is something which is needed in order to become successful. Whether they are short term goals or long term goals, if you have a vision of where you want to go in life and how you are going to get there, this will make the path much clearer.

SMART goals are a way of making the goal more focused and this will give you a better chance of reaching that goal.

SMART stands for:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Achievable
  • Realistic
  • Time Based

What I will do is go through each of these points and break them down so that if you set goals in the future, you can use this template to make your goals more focused.

Specific

This means that the goal must be well-defined and it cannot be ambiguous in any way, shape or form. If you set a goal which is specific, it enables you to see the light at the end of the tunnel and if you can see the light, then you are more likely to make it to the other side.

Measurable

You will face obstacles and hit roadblocks along the way to reaching your goal. No one reaches their goal unscathed by life. Everyone goes through experiences and faces their own struggles. The measurable aspect of the SMART goal is used as an indicator of your success. How do you know when you have become successful in your goal? Do you want to complete a 100m race in 13 seconds? That is an example of how a goal can be measurable. Take this into account when setting your goal.

Achievable

With this one, I do feel there should be room for leeway. The definition for this aspect of the SMART goal is asking yourself if others have achieved the goal you have set for yourself? I do think that sometimes we do need to be adventurous and try things that have never been done before. That is what legends are made of. However, if the goal you are setting is minuscule, then I would say make the goal achievable.

Realistic

This is a very important one. You have to make sure that the goal is realistic. This is different to achievable because the latter means if someone else has achieved it before or not. So even if someone has not achieved it before, it could very well be realistic. If your goal is not realistic, then why is it a goal of yours? Think smart when setting goals!

Time-Based

Have an estimated time as to how long it will take for you to reach your goal. If the goal is for a race or something like that, then make the time very accurate but if the goal is over several years, then make the time aspect of SMART an educated guess. Think of the time in which you will be happy in accomplishing that goal.

 

career, Help, Life Lesson, Mentality, Mindset, Success

24 Comments »

  1. Thanks for this! I feel like it’s time for me to create a decisive plan of my goals. I tend not to be specific and then get overwhelmed. 🌷

    • I also find that prioritizing is really important in goal setting. Especially when I have a big goal or lots of little goals. I can get overwhelmed and need to decide what to tackle first.

  2. great post ! I’m writing a book about similar subject! setting a goal is so important and a lot of people neglect this, and in my opinion, actually writing it down so you can look at it every day (remind yourself) and as u mentioned it should be realistic ! thanks for sharing this!

  4. We use this method at work for reviews. I’ve found it helpful in personal life, too. Especially the part about making it timely – I have many goals without deadlines, and I guess they’re just dreams!

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