What We Get Wrong About SMART Goals
How to stop beating yourself up for missing a deadline
Goals should be SMART, right? Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
But a lot of us fail to pay attention to the achievable and relevant parts of the planning process. We stick to specific and time-bound, and if life goes sideways or we get smacked with a global pandemic or an illness or family issues or a job loss, we think we failed at our goal just because we didn’t finish it in the time allotted.
Goals need room to breathe and adjust.
When a goal is no longer relevant or achievable in the way you first planned, going back to that goal and changing your method or timeline is not only “not failing,” but it’s actually setting you up for success.
Goals change to honor you where you are.
When I turned 25, I made a five-year plan. I wanted to be debt-free, married, and a parent by 30.
I am 32, twice divorced, childfree by choice (plot twist!), and still looking at about $30,000 of debt between my student loan and car.
And I am okay with this.
Chasing marriage-and-baby as the measurement of my success would still have me in an abusive marriage…
