SMART Goals

Setting goals is about intentionally creating the life that you want, one step at a time.

Before moving on the SMART goals, Let us start with the 'wrong' goals.

A wrong goal is often imposed by others, whether explicitly or implicitly. It’s something we feel we should do based on our parents’ expectations, what our friends and colleagues are doing, the societal norms that exist around us.

A wrong goal is not aligned with our personal values, it’s inconsistent with your underlying beliefs, and it’s not something you fundamentally and genuinely care about.

When we choose the 'wrong' goal we are inevitably going to be half hearted in our attempts at achieving them, which means we are likely to fail.

One of my favourite quotes is this:

“It doesn’t really matter how fast you’re going if you’re heading in the wrong direction.” 

- Stephen Covey, author of the classic, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Having the right goals in place is fundamental to successfully achieving them, and for that achievement to really contribute to your happiness and life satisfaction.

So what are the 'right' goals?

A meaningful goal is one that you have been thinking about for months or even years. This shows commitment, which will be important in getting you over that finishing line. A meaningful goal is one for which you are naturally motivated, versus someone else telling you that you should do it. Again, this will make sure that you’re committed to working hard in order to achieve it. A meaningful goal is one that is consistent with your personal values.

A meaningful goal is one that you’re willing to work hard for. 

And a meaningful goal is one that will truly have an impact on your life, in terms of your happiness, general life satisfaction, or any other aspect of your life that is important to you.

Finally, we come to the SMART part!

S – Specific: Getting specific on the goals that you want to achieve will give you more clarity on what success looks like, and help you to identify the concrete steps that will get you there.

M – Measurable: If you can’t measure your goal, then how will you know if you have achieved it? How will you track your progress?

A – Achievable: Goals that may seem completely out of your reach can become achievable if you break them down into smaller steps and give yourself a reasonable time frame in which to achieve them.

R – Relevant: A relevant goal is a goal that is meaningful to you, as well as being relevant to the wider context, to what’s going on in the world around you, personally and professionally.

T – Time-bound: Finally, setting a deadline will help you to focus and will also give you a sense of urgency, which can motivate you to act now rather than putting it off until later.

So set your Goal in SMART way...