S.M.A.R.T. Goals! How Smart Are They?
Posted on August 24, 2019 by Chadi Nassar, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
You’ve probably already heard of SMART goals, do you know what the acronym stands for and are they actually worth it?
Let’s start with the meaning of the acronym:
S = Specific – When setting goals, we need to be as specific as possible. Why? The clearer and more specific we are with our goal, the easier it will be to be measured, achieved, relevant to our needs and done within a certain attainable timeframe. Hence, we are motivated to achieve it! When we are motivated, we are capable of anything and everything!
M = Measurable – We need to be able to measure the success of that goal. How will we know we achieved it and it was well achieved if we cannot measure the success from the goal? Measurement of a goal can sometimes be intimidating though it is an integral step to knowing we did well with it and how to improve on the next goal we set!
A = Achievable/Actionable/Attainable/Assignable – The 4 ‘A’s that are used the most in the SMART acronym, are all valid in their own right. If you truly think about it, goals that are Achievable and Attainable set us for success (that’s what we want!). When we set an Actionable goal, we are able to take action to get it achieved and if the goal is a team effort, we would want it to be Assignable to one of our team members.
R = Relevant/Realistic – Relevancy of a goal is important since there is no reason to focus on a goal if it is not relevant to the situation we want to change or improve on. It would no longer be a SMART goal since it is not serving a purpose that is fitting to us at that moment in time. Being a realistic goal ties into it being achievable and attainable since if the goal is too out of reach and unrealistic then we are setting ourselves for failure and demotivation. Lack of motivation for setting a goal is also linked to how realistic and relevant it is. Think of it this way: Would you be motivated to get a goal achieved if it was too out of the realm of what is realistic? I feel you would answer with a “No!” here. That is not to say we should not dream big! It is just to say that we can still set ourselves up to reaching our greatness by turning our “dream big” goals into realistic smaller ones that lead to the big end game – turning the dream into a reality :)
T = Time based/Time-related/Timely – If our goal is open-ended, then how do we know that we have achieved it and when do we move on to the next one? Being time-based means that we are also accountable for having the goals done. The “expiry” date, so to speak, is also a motivational factor to get things done. Granted, being a time-based goal is not for everyone, though accountability and achievement of the goal are. Linking the SMART goal to a certain term to get it done by (be it an hour, a day, a week, a decade, etc…) defines the urgency of this goal and it clarifies to you whether it is short-term or long-term.
So, back to our title and main question: How smart are SMART goals? If done right, quite smart indeed!
After all, you would usually seek out a coach to help you set goals because you feel you are not getting things done. Well, a great coach will want you to get to a point where you can get set, achieve and set new goals with the right motivation and using SMART goals! Your coach will guide you as an accountability partner and be there for you as long as you need his/her guidance.
Are you looking to set EXTRAordinary goals? Feel free to get in touch and let’s see how we can Uplift You and your SMART goals game!
