Why do so many people fail to achieve their goals? We all have desires and ambitions, but year after year, as we’ve seen with New Year’s Resolutions, there always seems to be something standing in the way of success.
One of the main reasons why people fail to reach their goals is because they’re too vague with their desires. It’s easy to set a goal of becoming healthier or making more money, but what’s your plan to achieve it? That’s where SMART goals come in. It’s an effective and practical system to help you achieve your goals by creating a realistic action plan.
What are SMART goals?
SMART goals apply to both personal and professional goals. It requires you to be very clear and specific on what you’d like to accomplish. It’s an effective tool designed to help you successfully reach your goals by breaking it down step by step, so you understand exactly how achieve it. When you cover these aspects on how to make your goal more attainable, you’re setting yourself up for success rather than failure and disappointment.
You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Your goal is your desired outcome. Your system is the collection of daily habits that will get you there.
james clear.
What does SMART stand for?
S – Specific What is your goal? Do you need help achieving this goal? If so, from who? What is your time frame? Where can you do this? Are there any other requirements needed to complete this goal? Why is this goal important?
M – Measurable Now that we’ve gone through the specifics, it’s time to determine what method you are going to use to measure your progress. A goal becomes more tangible when you’re able to measure its performance. Depending on your goal, it could require a collection of data, numbers, or productivity results.
A – Achievable How attainable is your goal? Does it require you to take a new course? To acquire new skills? To change your attitude, outlook, or routine? Do you need to break your goal down into smaller bits? If so, consider what you would need to do in order to make your goal achievable.
R – Relevant It’s time to determine why this goal is relevant. Does this goal align with your personal or professional goals? How will it benefit you?
T – Time-Bound Much like measuring your progress, setting a timeframe for achieving your goal is an effective way to stay motivated and ensure its success. If you set a goal without a deadline, then there’s no sense of urgency or priority which makes it less attainable.
Why does the SMART system work?
The SMART system works because it requires you to be very specific with your goals. Not only are you writing down what you’d like to achieve, but you’re also creating an actionable plan. Goals are meaningless unless you follow up with a way to achieve them. When you sit down, plan, and find a way to make your goal attainable, its success becomes a reality.
Example of writing a SMART goal
Goal: I want to start reading in 2023.
Specific: This weekend, I’ll go to the library and pick a book I want to read. I will dedicate 5 minutes each night to reading.
Measurable: I will use Goodreads to track my reading progress each night.
Achievable: I’ll adjust my nightly routine to ensure I have 5 minutes or more to read.
Relevant: This aligns with my personal goals because I want to build my vocabulary and learn new things.
Time-Bound: I have to return this book to the library in 1 month, so I will aim to finish it in time.
As you can see, there’s a contrast between setting a goal and actually pairing it with a tangible plan. Anyone can say they’d like to read more, but if you don’t identify how you’re going to do that, then there’s no path towards achieving that goal. What are your thoughts on SMART goals? Are you going to use or apply this method to your current goals? I’d love to hear your thoughts. For more posts relating to productivity, visit my tag here.
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It really is true that daily habits will determine how much we can accomplish towards our goals. The tip you shared for creating actionable plans is a must!
Absolutely, our habits and action plans are what determines our success! Thank you for reading Heidi!
The only real goal I’ve set myself this year is to read a book a week.
That’s great Nikki! Good luck on achieving your reading goals. Thank you for reading!
This is really helpful. With regards to reading, I try and read for at least 20 mins before bed and that has helped me a lot. Guess, a small accountable change can snowball into achieving your goal
Thank you Pooja! I agree, these small changes start to become habits overtime. Thank you for reading!
This is really helpful for anyone who is struggling to set goals or not sure where to start. Making sure goals are specific is so important. Thank you for sharing.
Lauren
100%! It’s the first step towards achieving your goals. Thank you for reading Lauren!
As you say, there’s a real difference between setting a vague goal and setting an actionable plan – this is a very clearly explained post, thank you!
Absolutely, it makes a huge difference! Thank you for reading Lisa!
This is the perfect acronym for holding people accountable! Thanks for sharing!
I agree! It requires you to be specific and form a plan on achieving your goals. Thank you for reading!
We learned about SMART goals at work, and they are very effective. I love how you used a bookish goal for your example. Wonderful post!
That’s awesome that you learned this method at work! Thank you for reading Wendy!
I agree when we are specific, we tend to achieve goals. Having random or general is not motivated enough. Wonderful guide!
100%! When we’re specific about our goals, we’re also serious about achieving them. Thank you for reading Fransic!
SMART is such a great acronym for setting goals. We made an effort to make our goals for 2023 more specific and measurable.
I agree, SMART is a great way to ensure success in achieving your goals. Thank you for reading!
I’ve used SMART goals throughout much of my work years and have nothing but positive things to say about using them. Your information is clear and concise and I appreciated your example.
SMART goals are so effective in a work setting, and I’m glad to hear it worked well for you! Thank you for reading Jodie!
This is a really helpful concept when focusing on goals; I like the structure of it as it makes them almost motivational in nature (like I want to write them and get straight to work to start achieving them). Thanks for this!
That’s great Molly! This is such an easy method and you can apply it almost any goal. Good luck and thank you for reading!
Yesssss!!!!!! These are good ways to set goals and targets. Goals can be simple. It doesn’t have to be an extreme one. Most important thing it’s achievable.
Exactly! It all begins with a simple step and goal setting doesn’t have to be complicated. Thank you for reading Fadima!
I’m guilty of setting goals but not being specific about them. I love how you gave an example to make it super simple. I’ll definitely be using this technique going forward.
Claire.X
http://www.clairemac.co.uk
I’m glad you liked the example Claire! It’s so easy to apply this method to any goal. Thank you for reading!