SMART Goals Are so 2019… Do This Instead

How to set goals for the journey, not the destination

Sarah Duran
Curious

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Photo by Fabien Bazanegue from Unsplash

SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Google “Goal Setting” and this is the first thing that comes up. It is the standard for how everyone from your boss to your personal trainer will tell you to plan for the next great thing.

SMART goals reinforce the mindset that success is in the destination, not the journey. They ask you to limit your dreams to a specific, quantifiable target in the future.

The problem is, we live in an uncertain world — no one really knows what will happen tomorrow, next week, next month. The last year-ish has proven this to be true more than ever, but really…hasn’t it always been the case?

A year ago, would you have predicted where you are today? Do you believe the same things? Do you have the same goals, the same problems? Do you spend your time with the same people?

Most business strategists and self-help gurus promote the idea of big goals, strategic plans, and long-term thinking. The thing is, those plans and goals aren’t going to help you when things change and you have to adjust quickly.

In order to survive (and dare I say thrive) you need to plan for the unplannable, make yourself antifragile.

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Sarah Duran
Curious

By day I’m a freelance project manager, by night (j/k…also by day) I’m a blogger and coach who helps solopreneurs get the most out of work and life.