SMART Goals
You know how almost everything has become smart in recent years? We have smartphones, smart television, smartwatches, and alas! There are SMART goals as well. Actually, the smart in smart goal is an acronym that means goals must be specific, measurable, realistic (there seem to be different opinions on this one, some say the r stands for relevant) and finally, goals should be time-bound. Continue reading to find out exactly how to set SMART Goals.
What are SMART goals?
As I have mentioned in one of my posts, I am new to goal setting and you can imagine what my goal list looks like. In January and February, one of my goals was to become a good content writer. If you are thinking vague, ambiguous, and outright confusing, then you are right it is. Because honestly what is a good writer, what tangible measures do we use to scale a good writer and last but importantly how do you know when that goal has been achieved?
This is where the SMART goal comes in. I will try to explain it in a very simple manner so that when you go and redo your goal list you know exactly what you need to do. Let’s dive in.
Where do you start when setting goals?
I have a goal that I want to achieve, and it is to make more money, and like the “become a good writer goal” it is unclear and leaves you asking a lot of questions. When setting goals, you must ask yourself the following questions:
What: What is the goal and what exactly do you need to do to achieve it?
When: When should this goal be achieved?
Who: Who is the person responsible for ensuring the achievement of this goal?
Why: Why do you need to achieve this goal?
As you can see goal setting is not a menial task that can be done to pass time or for the sake of doing it. It is comprehensive and requires a lot of meticulous planning, and by using the set question for your guidance, you can refine your goals to have meaning. Furthermore, those questions can also help you change your goal-setting strategy altogether.
The Acronym SMART Goals.
S — Specific
Your goals should be as specific and as clear as possible. I mean you don’t want to set goals like the following: make more money, become a good writer, or exercise more.
An example would be as follows, make more money online. I know what you are thinking, but it is still unclear because where online and doing what. By the time we reach the last letter of the acronym, it will make more sense.
M- Measurable
As mentioned, the goal above is still ambiguous so to refine it to make it measurable we can say make R5000 more selling Canva Templates on Notion and Gumroad.
There is a number that will indicate when the goal has been achieved.
A — Achievable
Your goals are meant to push you to work harder but not set you up for failure. Yes, it is true we can achieve anything that we set our minds to but the goals that you set must be attainable and achievable. To check whether they are feasible, check the skills that you have, and the tools or resources required.
Carrying on with the example you might want to check whether you know how to make Canva templates. If the answer is no, then you have to go back to the drawing board and check how you can make more money.
You might have seen people talk about how profitable Canva templates are and went on a limb and thought you can jump on that opportunity, however, the only skill that you know is content writing.
Your goal might look something like this: Make R5000 more as a freelance writer on Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelance since I have already been using those platforms for my work.
R — Realistic
Other publications define this R as relevant. Let’s go with realistic because I do feel it is more fitting and this is an opinion. Your goals shouldn’t be out of reach or so difficult that no matter how much time you get you will not achieve them. If you have unattainable goals, you end up demotivated and giving up because you don’t see any progress.
Therefore, with the resources that you have can you carry out your goals and achieve them?
Time-bound
Without a set date or time, it is possible to mark the goal as less important and that way it never gets done, but once you set a specific start and finish date you are sure to prioritize your goals accordingly. Therefore, to achieve your goals it is important to allocate feasible time.
For example, Make R5000 more as a freelance writer on Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelance since I have already been using these platforms to get clients. My schedule is to start on the 15th of January and achieve this goal at the end of March.
SMART goals are a robust way of setting and achieving goals because without a direction you are bound to get lost and without clear goals, you are bound to miss your target which is your goal. Next time when you are setting goals make sure you are not just doing it for the fun of it, use the information in this guide to help you.
