In every great life plan, there are important milestones to map your success; from owning your first house to getting that promotion you’ve always wanted, we measure our progress with the help of smaller goals. Goals then are essentially our dreams with conceivable ways to achieve them. Let us introduce you to SMART Goals, which will make a difference in how you imagine your next big life dream! SMART goals provide structure with guidelines while also defining success and outlining exactly how to measure it.
What Are SMART Goals?
According to Indeed.com, each letter in SMART stands for one aspect of the goal that guarantees it is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Here’s what each letter stands for:
S is for Specific
Using specifics helps you avoid creating vague goals that can be interpreted in a number of ways. Why is this important? Sticking to specific information will prevent you from changing your goal away from your original intention, so nothing will detract from what you set out to accomplish. Here are some questions to ask yourself when creating a specific goal:
Who is needed?
What will you accomplish?
When do you expect the final outcome to be accomplished?
Which steps will you take along the way, and which obstacles will you need to overcome?
Why should this be done? Why do others need to be involved? Why are certain steps essential?
M is for Measurable
Remember, a goal without measurement is just a dream. If you can’t measure your success, how will you know when you’ve achieved your goal? Planning for the M in SMART means identifying how you will measure your progress and how you’ll determine when you’ve met your goal.
A is for Achievable
Don’t demotivate yourself by setting an unattainable goal. Make sure to consider whether or not you can achieve these goals with your current skills and resources in your current timeframe.
R is for Relevant
Another key factor of a SMART goal is that it must be relevant, meaning it has to align with your overall long-term goals. Consider whether your new goal is aligned with your overall business goals. If your SMART goal doesn’t fit in to your larger plan, you might need to rework it or scrap it all together.
And T is for Time-bound
Don’t think of this as a time limit, it’s more of a realistic growth measurement (with heavy emphasis on being realistic). You need to make sure the timeframe you’ve created suits the task so you have plenty of time to complete the goal but not too much so you can procrastinate. Timelines stimulate ongoing progress, and they will help motivate you to keep moving.
SMART Goals are a great way to calculate and visualize your success, and they can help you keep track of your accomplishments more accurately! For specific examples of SMART Goals, check out LifeHack.org!