The term SMART goals refer to setting achievable goals for you smartly. It implies setting specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely goals. When you select a goal, your life gets a direction, and you get the motivation to achieve something. SMART goals are the ultimate guide to goal setting.
Do you feel like you are just useless or do not have anything to aim for in your life? Do you sometimes have a realization that you are wasting your time, and you have nothing to achieve? If you answered YES, you need to set some goals in your life.
SMART goals are the ultimate guide to setting a goal. It helps you choose a specific and achievable goal promptly.
What Are Smart Goals?
The SMART GOALS are the ones that are:
- Specific (clear, unambiguous, and well-defined)
- Measurable (motivating and meaningful)
- Achievable (possible to be accomplished)
- Relevant (Realistic, reasonable, and results-based)
- Timely (Achievable within a specific time)
Specific Goals
The specific means that you should have a particular goal at a time. A specific goal can be broken down into smaller milestones, but you should not set multiple goals simultaneously. If you do so, you will stay confused about which goal to achieve first. Moreover, your goal should be well-defined, meaning that you should clearly understand what you are trying to achieve and how you will accomplish that.
Measurable Goals
While setting a goal, you must consider a way to assess the goal’s progress. When you know that you are getting close to achieving your goal, you get the motivation and energy to work more on your goals. So, it would help if you defined a criterion to keep track of your progress towards your goal.
Achievable
While setting a goal, make sure that it is attainable. A goal is achievable only when it is possible to accomplish. A goal should stretch your abilities but should not be impossible to achieve.
Relevant and Realistic
The SMART Goal implies setting a realistic goal that does not include any unrealistic aspects. A realistic goal is achievable within the available resources and time. Similarly, your goal must be aligned with other relevant goals.
Timely Goals
Your goal must have a starting and finishing date. It is better to work through the timelines before setting a specific goal. You should decide when to start working on a certain goal, at what time the goal should have been achieved, whether you will achieve it in that time period, if not, how much time is needed, etc.
The Need for SMART Goals
SMART goals are a great way for setting the most effective yet attainable goals. Using the SMART GOALS guide, you will set boundaries and define the steps you need to take. They are commonly used in business. Setting the SMART GOALS is necessary if you want to see your business booming over time. However, you can also use this ultimate guide to set personal goals.
Steps to Achieve the SMART Goal
- Break down your goal into multiple milestones.
- Start with a small milestone
- Work on a single milestone at a time
- Document your goals
- Check in regularly to track your progress
- Do not get demotivated by the distractions and circumstances that let you down. Stay motivated and keep working on your goals.
- Give yourself a treat whenever you achieve some milestone.
SMART Goal Mistakes
- Being uncertain about what you want to achieve.
- Setting multiple irrelevant goals that do not support each other in any way.
- Setting goals that you cannot achieve with the given resources and within the available time.