How to set (and stick to) SMART goals

What are SMART goals?

SMART goals were designed to make it easier to set goals, while also providing you with the framework to define feasible ones. You can set SMART goals for yourself or use them to lead a team. SMART goals are sometimes referred to as SMART objectives. SMART is an acronym that stands for:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

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Let’s break down what each part of SMART means.

Specific

When setting goals, aim for specifics. Setting detailed goals will help you work toward and accomplish it. If you don’t know what it is that you’re working toward, it will be harder to achieve.

For example, setting a goal to improve your company’s social media is unspecific. This goal doesn’t indicate exactly what it is on social media that you want to improve. To make this goal a specific goal, you could decide that you want to increase your following by 25 percent, improve engagement by 15 percent, and post high-quality photos at least three times a week.

Measurable

Make sure that the goals that you set are measurable. This means that you can track and quantify your goals to understand if they were successful or not. Measurable goals can be backed up with data, numbers, or percentages. A goal that is unmeasurable is subjective. For example, saying “I want to become a better writer” is an unmeasurable goal because it is subjective. However, saying “I want to write five books this year” is a measurable goal because you can quantify how many books you wrote at the end of the year.

Achievable

Achievable goals are realistic and attainable. Setting a goal that is unachievable will only set you up for failure. For example, saying “I want to get my driver’s license next month” when you don’t even have a permit would be an unachievable goal. Aiming to get a driver’s license within the next year and a half would be an achievable goal, because it gives you a realistic timeline.

Relevant

When determining your personal or work-related goals, you should make sure that they are relevant. Goals that are relevant are ones that are connected or related to your work, company, dreams, or values. For example, if a band manager asked their band members to obtain a finance degree, this wouldn’t be a relevant goal; those who are in a band aim to play music, not become an accountant. A relevant goal would be if a band manager asked their band members to go into the recording studio at least three times a week to record new music, because that is relevant to their job and skill set.

Time-bound

Goals that are time-bound are ones that have an end date. Without a deadline, there won’t be much motivation to complete your goal. Make sure to choose a realistic deadline for your goal or you won’t be able to complete it in time.

Pros and cons of SMART goals

The advantage of SMART goals is that they are a great way to stay organized while you work toward your goal. They also ensure that your goals are realistic, setting you up for success.

The disadvantage of SMART goals is that they sometimes discount legitimate goals. For example, wanting to build stronger friendships or wanting to live a happier day-to-day life are reasonable goals, but they wouldn’t work with the SMART goal method since they are unmeasurable. Another disadvantage of SMART goals is that they only measure if you were successful or not. They don’t measure effort or what you learned along the way.

How to track SMART goals

One of the easiest ways to track your SMART goals is to create an Excel sheet for them. There are dozens of free planner and tracker templates that you can download and use to track your goals. Make sure to update the sheet at the end of each day with everything that you’ve accomplished so far. If you’re working on achieving a goal with another person or a group, upload it to OneDrive and share it so that your team members can update it and keep track of the group’s progress.

Now that you know what SMART goals are, you can apply them to your everyday life to accomplish more. Learn more ways you can stay organized to help you achieve your goals.