How To Set A S-m-a-r-t Goal
We have heard again and again how important it is to set goals, but how do you set a good goal? This article explores the ins and outs of good goal setting, and outlines a solid strategy to help you evaluate your existing goals, and set new goals. By the time we are done here, it is my hope that you will have a good idea on how to set an effective goal, and be able to start crafting an action plan toward the realization of those goals. Let’s get started, shall we?
Setting a goal is as much an art as is attaining that goal. There is more to setting a goal than just writing down, “I want to be rich!” Certainly, writing your goals down, and referring to them constantly, is the first step in actually accomplishing them, but first you have to write them down. In writing them down, you want to be very clear and specific about your objectives, and how you are going to attain them. The more clarity you can bring to your goals, the greater the likelihood that you will realize them. Welcome to S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting.
S.M.A.R.T. goal setting is:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Timebound
All of these attributes work together, hand in hand, and influence each other. A good goal might be written as, “I will have a net worth of one million dollars by July 12, 2012.”
This goal is Specific: A net worth of $1,000,000, as opposed to just “get rich”.
It is Measurable: $1,000,000 in 5 years.
It is Achievable: I believe that I can create a net worth of $1,000,000 in 5 years.
It is Realistic: It is within my capabilities to accomplish this.
It is Timebound: 5 years from this date.
From that goal you would then develop an action plan, breaking each step down into a sub-goal of its own, again following the S.M.A.R.T. method. And that’s the secret of a S.M.A.R.T.ly written goal; when you are done, you will have the foundation of an action plan, a set of steps that will carry you forward day by day, ever closer to the realization of your goal.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these attributes, in turn.
Specific
Specific is the foundation of goal setting, because if you aren’t specific enough, two things happen. First, it becomes too easy to lose direction. An unspecific goal is out of focus, and difficult to see, and a goal that is difficult to see is difficult to achieve. Simple, isn’t it? Understand that when I say Specific, I mean really Specific. If it’s a car, list the make, model, and year. What colour is it? What accessories and factory extras does it have? What about aftermarket accessories? Is it a good family car, or are you after a utility vehicle? What about the bling factor? Decide what it is you really want and need, and write it down, as detailed as you can. Get, or make, pictures of the thing you want. If your goal is of a more abstract nature, such as a personal development goal, an abstract representation is fine, such as an individual who embodies the qualities that you want of yourself.
The point is to get as detailed as possible, so detailed that it becomes a reality to you. Rather than a hazy dream, the object of your desire becomes a tangible reality. Putting yourself in the picture is the last step making your goal specific and real, but we will address that a little later, in Achievable.
Measurable
A well thought out goal is Measurable. You can look at your progress to date, and see at a glance that you are on track. Or not, as the case may be. If your goal is financial, you can see that you are halfway there. If your goal is getting fit, you can tell by how much weight you are lifting or losing. By making your goal measurable, you give yourself an objective yardstick, one that tells you if you are on track or not. If you’re not, it also gives you early warning of that, so that you can adjust your plan accordingly.
Achievable
An achievable goal is one that you can see yourself achieving. It does bear noting, however, that for some long term goals, you may not be able to achieve them immediately, in which case you would want to start with a more immediate goal as a sub goal of your primary goal. As an example, let us suppose that your goal is to become a neurosurgeon. You may not see this as achievable because you never graduated high school. Your primary sub goal then might be to get your high school diploma.
The important part of Achievable is believability You must be able to envision yourself achieving your objectives. This can trip over Realistic, but we’ll get to that in a minute. If you are having trouble believing that your goal is achievable, you may find it helpful to put yourself in the picture. Envision yourself as having or being the object of your goal. If you have created a vision board, with pictures of that shiny new car, you could cut up a photo of yourself, and paste yourself into the drivers seat.
Realistic
Explaining Realistic is a touch of a challenge for me, as I believe that virtually anything is within the realm of possibility. What is realistic to me, may not be for you, and vice-versa. Suffice to say that this hearkens back to Achievable, but with a twist. Where Achievable speaks to your belief system, Realistic touches on a more material aspect of our goals. If, for example, your goal was to win a gold medal at the next Olympics, but you are missing a leg, it may not be Realistic. However, winning a Gold Medal in the Special Olympics, or a similar event would be realistic.
Timebound
Ensure that your goals are Timebound. Create a schedule, with a completion date, for your goal(s). Break your goals down into milestones, each milestone becoming a sub-goal, and check them frequently. Referring back to the “attain a net worth of a million dollars” goal, you might break it down into financial milestones every 6 months, or scheduled strategy implementations, such as purchasing investments. The key here is “when”. If, for some reason, you miss one of your scheduled milestones, you have caught a potential problem early, and can then make adjustments to your strategy and plan accordingly, keeping you on track.
Timebound, working with Measurable, is your objective yard stick, the ruler that tells you that you are exactly where you ought to be. It is also a map that tells you whether or not you need to make any course corrections, and can help you determine what those corrections might be.
Every piece of the S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting strategy works with every other piece, and as you have seen, some of them even overlap. A good goal is Specific, but it is also specifically Measurable and Timebound. A Realistic goal is also Achievable. An Achievable goal is Measurable, and so on. You cannot take one piece of the puzzle, and build a complete picture out of it. All the pieces work together.
A Final Thought
The key to goal setting is to write down your goals, and using this method, you will be well on your way to creating an action plan to attaining those goals. Write that down, too. This is so important that I’m going to say it again: Write it down! Put your plan somewhere you can see it, and refer to it constantly. It will keep you on track, and focused on your objectives. It will keep them in your mind, where they need to be in order to become a reality.
Big or small, whatever your dreams are, don’t be afraid to dream them, but when it comes to setting the goals that will make your dreams a reality, it pays to be S.M.A.R.T.
Marc Berry is a full time blogger, and full time family man. He writes about his efforts to be the best man he can be, both in his work, and in his family life. Visit techne-eikon for his tips, techniques, trials and triumphs, as he tries to balance work and home life, working from home.
