So what are SMART goals, and how can you use this framework to set and achieve your goals?

What are SMART goals?

A goal is an objective that you set for yourself and motivate yourself to achieve. It can be a small thing like waking up earlier than you usually do. Or it can be much bigger, like getting that promotion. But here’s the thing! While goals can be used as an inspiration to push yourself more, they can often lead to disappointment and frustration if you don’t achieve them in the end.

When it comes to achieving success, one of the most important steps that you need to take is setting good goals. And good goals are SMART.

‘S.M.A.R.T.’ is an acronym which you can use as a guide for setting your goals. Let’s break it down, letter by letter.

What makes a goal a SMART goal?

The goal must be:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time Bound

 

How to set SMART goals:

1. Specific

First of all, your goal should be specific and clear. Otherwise, you will not be able to focus your efforts, or you may feel less motivated to achieve it. While you are drafting your goal, try to answer these four questions:

• What is the thing that I want to achieve?
• How important is this goal to me?
• Who is going to be involved?
• What are the resources or limitations involved?

SMART goal example: Let’s say you are a marketing executive right now, and you dream of becoming the head of the marketing department. Your specific goal might be, “I will gain the skills and experience that is required to become the head of the marketing department within my organization. In this way, I can build my career and be the leader of a successful team.”

2. Measurable

It is important that you have measurable goals so you can track your progress. And once you start seeing some progress, you’ll be able to keep yourself motivated.

So break your goal down into measurable elements, assess your progress and make sure this will help you stay focused, and feel the enthusiasm of meeting your deadlines and of getting closer to accomplishing your goal.

You can use these questions to make sure you have a measurable goal:
• How much?
• How long?
• How many?
• How will I know that I’ve accomplished my goal?

SMART goal example: It’s possible to measure your goal of gaining the skills required to become the head of the marketing department by determining whether you can complete the five essential training courses and gain the necessary experience of managing three large accounts within three years’ time.

3. Achievable

Is your goal attainable? To achieve a goal, you must first be realistic when setting it. Your goal should stretch your skills and abilities, but still be possible to achieve. When setting an achievable goal, try to determine the resources or opportunities you’ve previously overlooked that may bring you closer to your goal.

For your goal to be achievable, you should be able to answer these questions:
• What should I do to accomplish this goal?
• Considering other constraints, like financial factors, how realistic is my goal?

SMART goal example: Check on your existing qualifications and experience, then ask yourself whether developing the skills needed to become the head of the marketing department is realistic. Ask yourself further, do you have the time needed to complete the necessary training effectively? Will the relevant resources be available to you? Do you have enough funds to do it?

If you don’t have the skill, time or money to achieve a certain goal, you could fail. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that you can’t achieve something that seems to be impossible. You simply need to deeply examine the resources you have available to you and plan accordingly in order to ensure your goal is achievable.

Bonus Tip! Be careful when setting your goals, especially if someone else has power over the outcome. For instance, getting a promotion will depend on your employer’s prerogative or who else applies for it. However, getting the training and experience required to be considered for the promotion is totally up to you.

4. Relevant

Why do you want to reach this goal? What motivates you to achieve this goal? This step is to make sure that your goal is important to you and it aligns with the other significant goals in your life.

To know that your goal is relevant to you, you should answer “Yes!” to these following questions:
• Is this the best time to work on this goal?
• Is this goal matched with your other needs?
• Are you the right person to achieve this goal?
• Does the goal seem valuable and worthwhile?

SMART goal example: You want to work on your skills so you’ll become the head of the marketing department within your organization. As yourself if this is really the best time to take on the needed training and grind some more for additional qualifications. If you’ve just had a newborn baby and are also working full time and getting your master’s degree at night, maybe now isn’t the best time to work on this goal. Additionally, if you don’t see this title change being important to your career progression, perhaps the goal isn’t as relevant as you thought.  
thought.  

5. Time-bound

Each goal should have a target date. You need a deadline you can focus on and something to work toward. Parkinson’s law states that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. If you set a goal without a deadline, you could technically achieve it 25 years from now and you would have accomplished your goal. But my guess is that you have a specific timeframe in mind because your achievement of this goal helps move other things forward in your life.

When setting a time-bound goal, you should answer these questions:

• How long will it take me to reasonably achieve this goal?

• What can I achieve in one week or month?

• How many weeks or months will my goal take to complete?

SMART goal example: We already know that to become the head of the marketing department, you need to gain skills through additional experience or training, but how long will it take you to obtain these skills? Create a schedule for your trainings, and target dates for certain professional milestones such as managing three more high profile clients or large accounts in the next three years.

Final Thoughts

People that set SMART Goals have been proven to be more successful than people who don’t.

Remember that goal setting is much more than simply saying that you want something to happen. You must clearly define what exactly you want, make sure your goal is realistic, and understand why you are doing it in the first place. Then, you must be clear on how you will measure your progress towards your goal, and when your target date is to achieve the goal.

Setting SMART goals is a recipe for true success when it comes to accomplishing your goals in life and getting shit done!

Check out these great SMART goal setting templates to help you get started setting (and achieving) your goals today!