SMART Goals

Posted on January 07, 2018 by Cathy Fraser, One of Thousands of Entrepreneurship Coaches on Noomii.

I love the end of the year because starting at Thanksgiving it’s a time to look back at all the great things and learning opportunities that occurred over the past year. It’s a time to re-set goals, plans, and dreams. Evaluate what worked and what didn’t and to look forward to the greater things to come.

Personally, I enjoy setting goals and using the SMART acronym makes your goals very clear, specific, measurable, time limit, and relevant to the overall big goal you are striving for. I spend a lot of time with my coaching clients to ensure that you set the goals that work for YOU and you know exactly how you are going to achieve them. It makes your journey clear and a lot more fun. If you haven’t noticed I’m all for having fun while building a business!

Yes, you have seen these everywhere especially at the beginning of the year. However, my hope is that when we work together, these goals don’t become just something to do for the New Year and then two weeks later forgotten. But they actually become a part of your everyday life, these goals become reality, you tweak them, you aspire to reach them, and when you achieve one goal you write another SMART Goal.

So you see these are an ongoing exciting part of being an entrepreneur, they aren’t something good to do or that you are supposed to do. While building and growing your business you will always be setting goals, so I believe this is a very important skill to master and to learn to love doing!

SMART Goals

This is another really fun part of the plan because the SMART goals are the action steps that you will take to reach bigger goals. I’ve heard the saying to start with the end in mind and then work backward. So the real purpose of these SMART goals is to break your huge vision down into smaller attainable chunks.

Below is an example of what each section consists of; in this sample, we will imagine you are setting SMART goals to write your Creative Plan. (Shared in Entrepreneur Ten Essentials mini course).

This acronym/formula is really powerful when you use it for any of the goals that you are setting.

Specific (simple, sensible, significant)
Measurable (meaningful, motivating)
Achievable (agreed, attainable)
Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based)
Time-bound (time-based, time-limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive)

Specific: Your goal should be clear and specific, otherwise you won’t be able to focus your efforts or feel truly motivated to achieve it. When drafting your goal, try to answer the five “W” questions:
• What do I want to accomplish?
• Why is this goal important?
• Who is involved?
• Where is it located?
• Which resources or limits are involved?

Example: I’m going to write my Creative Plan because it’s important that I understand all aspects and steps that are involved in my business. Right now this process includes me and my coach – it will be on our shared platform; if I don’t know the specific information I will find it.

Measurable: It’s important to have measurable goals so that you can track your progress and stay motivated. Assessing progress helps you to stay focused, meet your deadlines, and feel the excitement of getting closer to achieving your goal.

A measurable goal should address questions such as:
• How much?
• How many?
• How will I know when it is accomplished?

Example: I will measure my progress by outlining the sections of the plan ahead of time

Achievable: Your goal needs to be realistic and attainable to be successful. In other words, it should stretch your abilities but still remain possible. When you set an achievable goal, you may be able to identify previously overlooked opportunities or resources that can bring you closer to it.

An achievable goal will usually answer questions such as:
• How can I accomplish this goal?
• How realistic is the goal, based on other constraints, such as financial factors?

Example: do I have the time and effort to write this plan? I can write one section at a time, schedule at least one hour each day.

Relevant: This step is about ensuring that your goal matters to you and that it also aligns with other relevant goals. We all need support and assistance in achieving our goals, but it’s important to retain control over them. So make sure that your plans drive YOU forward and that you’re responsible for achieving your own goal.

A relevant goal can answer “yes” to these questions:
• Does this seem worthwhile?
• Is this the right time?
• Does this match my other efforts/needs?
• Am I the right person to reach this goal?
• Is it applicable in the current socio-economic environment?
• When?
• What can I do six months from now?
• What can I do six weeks from now?
• What can I do today?

Example: I can say yes to all the above questions about creating my plan
Time-bound: Every goal needs a target date so that you have a deadline to focus on and something to work toward. This part of the SMART goal helps to prevent everyday tasks from taking priority over your longer-term goals.

A time-bound goal will usually answer these questions:
• When?
• What can I do six months from now?
• What can I do six weeks from now?
• What can I do today?

Example: Gaining the skills to become head of marketing may require additional training or experience, as we mentioned earlier. How long will it take you to acquire these skills? Do you need further training, so that you’re eligible for certain exams or qualifications? It’s important to give yourself a realistic time frame for accomplishing the smaller goals that are necessary to achieving your final objective.

Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Make sure you have access to the Entrepreneur Ten Essentials-the biblical foundation for your business.