What Are SMART Goals?

What Are Goals?

A goal is a desired result that you want to see some time in your future.

• Short-term goals are smaller, easier to accomplish and focus on things you would like to happen over the next year or two.

• Long-term goals focus more on the big picture and things you would like three, five or 10 years from now.

Goal-setting techniques and strategies have been a topic of interest for scientists and medical professionals for decades. The most famous of these people was Dr Edwin Locke, who found that there is a direct connection between performance, positivity and having focused goals.

Goal-setting is proven to:

• Improve self-esteem and self-confidence
• Increase motivation
• Positively influence behavior
• Lead to a more positive outlook on life, as those who experience failure see it more as a setback
• Increase self-awareness, as you are constantly evaluating your performance, strengths and weaknesses

What Are SMART Goals?

SMART goals are a way of creating meaningful goals. The concept was developed in 1981 by George T Doran to help managers set and reach their targets.

Each letter of the SMART acronym focuses on a different aspect that makes your goals more focused and achievable:

• S – Specific
• M – Measurable
• A – Achievable
• R – Realistic
• T – Time-bound

Research has found that people who write down their goals are 20% more likely to achieve them. 90% of goal-setters perform better when their goals are relevant and specific.

Using the SMART goal framework helps you create the best possible goals to work towards in your career and personal life.

What Are the Five Aspects of the SMART Framework?

Using this framework is easy. For each section, you need to work through a series of questions until you have a clear understanding of your goal and what you need to do to achieve it.

S – Specific

When writing a goal, you want it to be as specific as possible. 'I want a big house and a fancy car' is not a goal, it is a statement.

Use the ‘W’ questions to help:

• Who – Who is involved in achieving this goal? Is it just you or you and your partner? If the goal is work-oriented and you are working on a group project, who else is involved?

• What – What exactly do you want? Don’t be afraid to get very specific or think big. If you want a five-bedroom house with a wrap-around terrace, large garden and a 100-year-old willow tree, then write that down. If you want a six-figure salary by the time you are 35, then make that your goal. Remember that you will be setting long and short-term goals. If one of your desires seems impossible, label it as a long-term goal and make smaller goals to help you reach it.

• Where – This one isn’t always needed, but if your goal is location-specific, then make a note of it.

• Why – What is the reason for this goal? Again, get specific. If the goal is about a promotion, maybe you want that promotion because it means more money, which will allow you to pay off your student loan faster or save for a deposit on a house. Maybe you want it because it will enable you to choose your working hours. Attaching a very specific ‘why’ to your goal gives it value and meaning. When you read your goal and what achieving it will do for you, it evokes a greater feeling of desire.

The ‘when’ is addressed later, under ‘T – Timebound’.

M – Measurable

What evidence will you use to decide if the goal has been met?

If you are looking for a new job, the goal could be: Apply for five new jobs.

A measurable financial goal would look like this: Save $700 in March.

Setting measurable milestones helps you evaluate where you currently are and how you can improve. If you fall short of a target, then you know you need to readjust your goals or up your game.

A – Achievable

Some people refer to this section as ‘attainable’.

This part is designed to inspire you, not deter you. For example, if your goal is to earn a seven-figure salary, what do you need to achieve that? Do you need to take some courses or study for an MBA? Should you change jobs or work towards a promotion?

Never look at your goal and think that it is unachievable. Always try to find a way to make it a reality.

R – Realistic

You may also see this labeled as ‘relevant’.

Again, this has nothing to do with the likelihood of you achieving this goal but how it aligns with you.

Goals that align with our core values have a greater chance of success.

Ask yourself whether it is something you truly want or whether it is something expected of you.

If this goal is short-term, consider how it contributes towards your larger goals.

An example of a realistic goal is:

T – Time-bound

Give yourself a deadline. If you don’t, you will never work towards it.

Some goals may have an automatic deadline – for example, promotions, job applications – but for the majority, you will need to set a deadline yourself.

Depending on the urgency, your deadline could be six months from now or two weeks.

Be kind to yourself. Setting a deadline too soon may put you under unnecessary stress and demotivate you.

SMART goals are supposed to be inspiring, not stress-inducing.

Once you have written your goal according to each section, work through your answers and pull out the key ideas or solutions.

This will give you your final SMART goal.

Be SMARTER

Following on from the success of SMART goals, the acronym was extended to become SMARTER.

The extra two letters stand for:

E – Evaluate

Look at your goals and evaluate them every single day.

This doesn’t mean going through the SMART framework every day. But each morning, look over your goals, see which deadlines are approaching and decide what tasks you need to do that day.

Evaluating your goals every day will keep you focused and motivated.

R – Readjust

Maybe your circumstances have changed. Perhaps you are finding a particular task or goal problematic.

A daily evaluation and readjustment of your goals will keep you on target and prevent you from getting confused or losing focus.

How Do You Write a SMART Goal?

Example 1 – ‘I Want a Promotion’

Example 2 – ‘I Want to Improve My Cocktail-Making Skills’

If you are new to goal-setting, test smaller goals first until you get used to the framework. Before setting career goals, try some personal ones first.

Final Thoughts

Goal setting does more than helping you determine what you want from life. It is a technique that teaches discipline, focus and keeps you motivated.

The SMART goal framework encourages you to think more about your goal, such as:

• When you want to accomplish it by
• What tasks need to be done to achieve it
• Why the goal is so important to you

When used effectively, this framework is perfect for those wanting to find a clear path to achieving their goals.