S.M.A.R.T. goals that actually work

Let’s talk S.M.A.R.T. goals.

You’ve probably heard them, maybe even used to some degree in the past.

To refresh, we’re talking about reworking bland, meaningless statements of desire into honed high-performance goals by applying the framework:

• Specific - a crystal-clear action that will be taken
• Measurable - something that can be quantified and tracked
• Attainable - an action that can be achieved within your current skill, resource and time limits
• Relevant - something practical that works towards your larger goals or mission
• Time limited - constrained by a deadline or schedule, so things aren’t left hanging around a to do list forever

Let’s bring this to life in a couple of examples:

Dumb goal: “Get fit again”
‍S.M.A.R.T. goal: Run 5 miles before breakfast, except for Wednesday and Sunday

Dumb goal: “Feel less stressed”
‍S.M.A.R.T. goal: Write my gratitude journal for 10 minutes after my shower each night

Feel the difference?

One last thing - some folks take up S.M.A.R.T. goals but still struggle to hit them. Remember that a goal, no matter how well crafted is useless without a feedback loop of measurement and learning. To quote an infamous boxer, “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face”.

So set a time in your daily schedule to review your goal result, what worked, what didn’t and apply what you learned to improve your goal-setting in the future. Deliberate iteration is key here.

Now, let’s get S.M.A.R.T!