Goal-setting is something we do everyday, but setting SMART goals is something you may be unfamiliar with. Sometimes we make long-term goals, sometimes we make short-term goals, and other times we make goals that we want to accomplish by the end of the day.
These can be goals we set to improve our own lives, goals we set for our family, or even goals we set for our employees and coworkers. Whatever the case may be, we must make sure these goals remain detailed, strict, and to the point if you want to efficiently achieve it.
Luckily, there’s an easy way to analyze whether your goals are setting clear intentions to yourself and your team. They’re called SMART goals, which is an acronym for the most important criteria when setting goals — Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.
Next time you set a goal, use the following template to set a clear path to success.
Setting SMART Goals
S – Specific
First off, you want to make sure your goal is specific. Having too vague of a goal can cause your results to get off track, be delayed, or cause you to have no results at all. You need to make sure your goal clearly states what needs to be accomplished, why it needs to be accomplished, who needs to accomplish it, and how they will accomplish it.
Context and a plan are necessary for any goal to see success.
M – Measurable
We love numbers and that’s why they should always be included in goals. Numbers allow us to make our goal measurable, which in turn makes it easier to track the progress we’ve made on that goal.
Don’t just say you want more money, state how much more money you want. Don’t just say you want more followers on social media, state how many more followers you want on social media. If you can’t measure your goal, you’ll never know when it’s accomplished and you won’t be able to set new goals — you’ll feel stuck.
A – Attainable
When setting smart goals, it’s also important that you stay realistic with your goals. Many people aim too high before they’re ready to leap, just to find themselves stumbling through life. By making sure your goals are achievable, you can give yourself the confidence to exceed them.
This will also involve listing out any limitations or restrictions you might come across when trying to reach that goal. You should know ahead of time what might get in your way.
R – Relevant
In order for you to get the full enjoyment and confidence-boost from achieving a goal, you need to make sure that goal is relevant to you and your well-being. If you don’t see any benefit from reaching the goal, then there won’t be any satisfaction when it’s achieved.
You don’t want more social media followers just to have more social media followers, maybe you have a new book you want to promote or have a lot of interesting ideas to share.
T – Time-Bound
Set yourself on a time-limit for when you want this goal accomplished. This isn’t meant to rush you through that goal, but rather to set a deadline for when it’s expected. Again, you’ll want to be realistic with this to avoid setting yourself up for disappointment.
By setting SMART goals, you can start to sketch a working path to your wants and desires out of life. Just make sure all of your goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound!