When you are creating smart goals, an easy way to get started is understanding the acronym S.M.A.R.T. It can help you create more effective goals. Each letter of the acronym stands for a different area of the goal. When you create a smart goal, you have created a goal that is Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Timely. Using SMART goals can set you up for success in your goal setting. Lets break this down with a little more detail and an example, you are wanting to improve your mental and emotional well being , a weak goal would be ‘I want to wake up earlier every morning.’
S = Specific:
Describe your goal in detail so that it is clear and tangible. Consider details like what, when, where, how, and why. I want to wake up earlier each morning to have more time for creating a healthy morning routine.
M = Measurable:
Use this as a metric for which to determine your success. If your goal can’t be quantified, then it’s not a full goal and you won’t know how to tell when you’ve succeeded. State how you will assess whether you have met your goal. I will start setting my alarm clock for 7:30 AM this week, and each week set it earlier by 15 minutes. Plus, I’ll write on my calendar the time when I actually woke up to measure progress.
A = Actionable/Assignable/Achievable:
Make your goals actionable, can you take an action each day that will eventually result in an accomplished goal? Goals should also be achievable or you may get frustrated an unable to see the progress you have made. Be accurate about the time it takes to reach your goal, and what actions it takes to get you there. Understand why you think it’s possible for you to achieve your goals given your current skill level and the resources available to you. My schedule allows me to go to bed 60 minutes earlier each night, so waking up earlier won’t take away from my needed hours of rest.
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R = Realistic:
or relevant, and either or both are important and are true. If you want your goal to succeed, it should most certainly be something that is realistic or you will fail. It should also be relevant to your life’s vision and match with your values. Ensure your goal is relevant to your current class, lesson, or degree. A relevant goal for a student should be related to your education.
T = Timely
the ‘T’ can also be referred to as trackable. If you don’t set a time limit and you can’t track what is happening, your goal will be hard to quantified or show as achieved. State when you want to meet your goal and ensure your timeframe is realistic.
Whichever words you use to help you craft your goals, the important thing is that you need to have a process to help you make smart goals. Smart goals are goals that you follow through on achieving and you have evidence that you have met your goals. In four weeks, I will be waking up two hours earlier than I usually wake up now, using this extra two hours to create a healthy morning routine.
Summary: How do YOU Write a SMART Goal
So why are SMART goals effective? they can help you gain clarity on your objective and ensure that you do what’s needed to achieve your goals. In summary, follow these 5 simple steps when learning how to set smart goals:
- Specific: Determine what you want.
- Measurable: Identify what success is.
- Achievable: Make sure your goal is reasonable.
- Relevant: Ensure your goal aligns with your overarching goals.
- Time-bound: Set a deadline and create a schedule.
Now it’s your turn! Take a few minutes now to set a SMART goal that will move you closer to something that is important to you…your dream life or business desires.
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