How you can be S.M.A.R.T
S.M.A.R.T is an acronym. It is a super effective guide helping you set and achieve many of your life goals. Each letter is a fundamental step to setting up your goal for success. It is best actioned by asking yourself the following question(s):
If you notice your ego being unhelpful, play around with the reference of the questions from you to I:
S- Specific
- What it is that you want?
- What is your aim with this?
- Example: I want to be happy and fulfilled in my career. This means feeling confident and joyful in knowing what I do makes a difference.
M – Measurable
- How exactly will you know when you have reached this want?
- What is your measurement here, your tangibility? (A measurement can be numerical, emotional/ feeling, verbs or nouns).
- If you need a little assist, take a moment to step into the future. Take yourself into your minds eye, imagine yourself, in this near future being, doing, having your want and now looking through your own eyes in this image: What can you see, hear, feel, smell and taste that shows you have achieved your want? (Closing your eyes can help inner focus).
- Example: I know this will be true when I see the reactions of clients I help. When I hear them thanking me regardless of the outcome, knowing I did all I could. I am enjoying the smell of flowers gifted by clients and tasting the thoughtful chocolates or wine some choose to say thank you with.
A – Achievable
- Is this want within or out your current skills/capabilities?
- Either way what would it take to attain the want?
- Is this want within your sphere of control? If not which exact parts are and aren’t?
- Example: I currently have the skills and capabilities (being a qualified veterinary surgeon), however I want to improve my communication skills by communicating in a less scientific way. This is in my control as I can learn how to communicate science in a more colloquial way.
R – Relevant
- Thinking about the bigger picture in your life, what will achieving this want do for you?
- What effects will this have on you and those around you?
- Example: Overall this will help me feel more fulfilled in my work. In part this will help me maintain confidence that my approach to veterinary health care is effective so I can have a lasting and long career. This will improve my overall self confidence and my relationships, I will feel even more joy and confident in myself.
T – Time Bound
- When would you like to have this want by? Narrow it down with year, month, day, time.
- Example: I want this by 7 pm, 31st March 2023.
How To Create Your S.M.A.R.T Goal Statement
Now put it all together. Make yourself a “goal statement” that summarises, while includes the key aspects you explored above and write down your S.M.A.R.T Goal!
Example: My S.M.A.R.T Goal – I want to be fulfilled in my career, by experiencing joy and feeling confident in knowing I make a difference. This means I will lead a happier and more connected life with all those around me. I will have this by 7pm, 31st March 2023.
Get Your S.M.A.R.T Goal Momentum Going
Next write down your first step. This step will take you closer (one step closer) to your S.M.A.R.T Goal. Add when exactly you will do this, including the amount of time you need for it and at least three ways on how you could do this. ** I use could as there is no need to edit your creativity, have some fun!**
Example: My first step is to build on my colloquial language of the scientific jargon I use. I will do this on 20th January 2023 at 10 am and give myself 3 hours.
I could do this by 1. Using google searches. 2. Practise speaking to friends/family with animals using colloquial language and check their understanding. 3. Pretend I am writing a blog that cannot use jargon and see what metaphors or other language references I come up with as analogies for the jargon.
Choose where your S.M.A.R.T Goal will live. Regularly check in with it, update it and most importantly take consistent action toward it, however this works for you. Note doing nothing is also an action of choice…
Example: I will write my goal down in my phone notes and place a reminder on the date I want it by and put in my diary my first step. I will add my learning each week for my colloquial communication skill and update my S.M.A.R.T goal as needs.
Now, it is your turn!
Who created S.M.A.R.T goals?
The concept of SMART goals has been around since 1981. George Duran an advocate for excellent management in business published his expertise on “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and objectives “ as a way to develop how managers can better understand objectives (i.e goals) and how to write them down so as to help their organisation gain a sense of direction and a how to focus on problems.
Why should you follow the S.M.A.R.T way?
As you can workout from the above example, it shows you that in order to clarify what you want and thus achieve it. You need to first work out what it is that you want, how you will know when you have got it, what action(s) you need to do to get there, how achieving this goal fits into your life and when you will complete it by.
In your subconscious mind the S.M.A.R.T way allows your conscious mind to connect purpose, focus, direction and motivation to your goals you want. These are often the missed (or hidden) reasons behind why people will set goals but not complete on them. We don’t like being confronted directly about our goals and so the S.M.A.R.T way is an indirect, conversational way one can use to ensure they weave these essential success driving impacts into a desired goal.
Who can use and follow the S.M.A.R.T way?
The great news is anyone and everyone! The realism is often many of us try to skip a step, avoid truthful answers, don’t know how to effectively set goals and most don’t know how set goals that match our personality type (DISC Personality Style). So when the “first hurdle” appears we give up on our goals altogether.
Realty check on S.M.A.R.T goal setting. When it comes to short-term and medium-term goals S.M.A.R.T is a tried and tested way to develop your inner goal setting capability and subsequently your goal achieving ability. If you have a large or long-term goal I would advise seeking the assistance of a certified & qualified Integrated Coach that can take your S.M.A.R.T goal setting and achieving to a new level. However if you are someone who has set many a short and medium term goal and cant seem to follow trough for whatever reason, this is also a great opportunity to hire the services of a professional.
A Few Final Pointers For Ultimate and Effective Success
If you haven’t already, make sure your goal is positively stated. If you want to give something up, write down what you want instead. Example: I want to give up overeating to I want to feel satisfied when I eat both meals and snacks OR I don’t want to feel sad anymore to I want to feel joy.
Is your goal in the present tense? Can you amend your I want’s or I would like’s to I am or I will or by this time in the future I will…?
Be sure it is relevant to you and personal. If someone wants you to change or you what to change someone else, these are dead end goals. Ask yourself – how can I create ownership of the change here? How is this relevant to me or how can this become relevant to me?
Ensure you check in with and manage your state (the sum of your feelings, thoughts and behaviours) for how possible the goal is for you. Ask yourself on a scale 1-10 how possible or achievable is my goal? If you answer 7 or below follow up by asking how else can I make this goal more achievable, even if it is one more up, keep going until you are 8 or above and then what are you waiting for?!
I would like to remind you it’s a good human deed to keep your goals legal and environmentally sound!
Now you have moved from something you think you want to something you know you want, I encourage you to combine all your learning in how to be a S.M.A.R.T goal setter and achiever.
