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5.3 SMARTER Goals
Now is the time to introduce you to the structure we’re going to use to set goals – SMARTER Goals. You may have already heard of SMART goals, well SMARTER goals just include 2 extra elements to ensure the goals you’re setting are personalized to you.
The main benefit in using this process is that your goal gets written down – sounds a bit simplistic I know, but time after time it has been proven that people who only set goals in their mind, don’t achieve them in the end [ie new years resolutions]. The simple act of writing down your goal is so important because it takes it out of your thoughts and into your reality.
SMARTER is an acronym used to describe the essential elements of a goal:
S Specific
A goal is a well-defined target that gives you clarity, direction, motivation and focus towards what you want. Your goal statement needs to reflect this. The goal needs to be significant enough to inspire you to move toward the life that you want. It will be either towards something you want, or away from
something you don’t want.
If your goal statement is vague, you will find it difficult to achieve as the definition of success in this case will also be hard to define.
M Measurable
It is easier to track progress against a goal if it is measurable. Some goals of course are easy to measure – weight loss, running speed, income. Others are difficult to measure as there are no apparent quantities that define it. In these cases, you’ll need to develop some kind of ranking system, or measure time spent on the goal. Measuring your goals helps you determine if you are
going in the right direction and make any necessary adjustments along the way.
A Action-oriented
You will need to develop a strategy for how you are going to achieve your goal. You don't need to know all the details at first, just start with a general plan. Focus on actions you can take that are in your direct control.
R Reasoned and Realistic
Goals need to be relevant to you and to your life – they need to be meaningful and significant, in order to make a difference in your life. Remind yourself why you want to achieve this goal.
Goals also need to be realistic, in that the actions you need to take to achieve your goal are things that you can actually do and control.
T Time-bound
For goals that have a measurable finish ending (eg weightloss goal), it is important to set a deadline. Goals without deadlines lend themselves to being put off until another day – we’ve all done it “I’ll start my diet tomorrow”. Action items also need to have deadlines to keep momentum up.
E Ethical, Exciting and Enjoyable
Goals need to be something you are excited about and are going to either enjoy doing or enjoy the outcome. If goals don’t meet these criteria, you probably won’t do them. Goals also need to be ethical. Most of us are moral people with a naturally high ethical standard. Research has actually shown that people like us will subconsciously resist doing things that we know or believe to be unethical. Therefore, if you set a goal with questionable ethics, subconsciously you will put off taking action on that goal. So, this might seem a silly check-off, but you’ve got to ask yourself the question so you aren’t sabotaging your goal setting journey from the start. For the same reason, you need to be honest with yourself because your sub-conscious knows when you’re not, and will
react by resisting action.
R Resourced
You will need to commit some resources to achieving your goals – this may be time, money, external support, information resources, etc. You may even have to make some sacrifices to achieve your goals, but if your goal is truly what you want to achieve, then a few personal sacrifices shouldn’t deter you. No pain, no gain!
The SMARTER goal process is highly effective at allowing you to set and achieve specific goals that have definable steps and actions. They are not so useful at directly achieving your long-term goals, other than for achieving the milestone goals that ultimately lead towards your big-picture. It is therefore important to keep using processes like Mind Mapping to keep sight of your big picture.
The main benefit in using this process is that your goal gets written down – sounds a bit simplistic I know, but time after time it has been proven that people who only set goals in their mind, don’t achieve them in the end [ie new years resolutions]. The simple act of writing down your goal is so important because it takes it out of your thoughts and into your reality.
SMARTER is an acronym used to describe the essential elements of a goal:
S Specific
A goal is a well-defined target that gives you clarity, direction, motivation and focus towards what you want. Your goal statement needs to reflect this. The goal needs to be significant enough to inspire you to move toward the life that you want. It will be either towards something you want, or away from
something you don’t want.
If your goal statement is vague, you will find it difficult to achieve as the definition of success in this case will also be hard to define.
M Measurable
It is easier to track progress against a goal if it is measurable. Some goals of course are easy to measure – weight loss, running speed, income. Others are difficult to measure as there are no apparent quantities that define it. In these cases, you’ll need to develop some kind of ranking system, or measure time spent on the goal. Measuring your goals helps you determine if you are
going in the right direction and make any necessary adjustments along the way.
A Action-oriented
You will need to develop a strategy for how you are going to achieve your goal. You don't need to know all the details at first, just start with a general plan. Focus on actions you can take that are in your direct control.
R Reasoned and Realistic
Goals need to be relevant to you and to your life – they need to be meaningful and significant, in order to make a difference in your life. Remind yourself why you want to achieve this goal.
Goals also need to be realistic, in that the actions you need to take to achieve your goal are things that you can actually do and control.
T Time-bound
For goals that have a measurable finish ending (eg weightloss goal), it is important to set a deadline. Goals without deadlines lend themselves to being put off until another day – we’ve all done it “I’ll start my diet tomorrow”. Action items also need to have deadlines to keep momentum up.
E Ethical, Exciting and Enjoyable
Goals need to be something you are excited about and are going to either enjoy doing or enjoy the outcome. If goals don’t meet these criteria, you probably won’t do them. Goals also need to be ethical. Most of us are moral people with a naturally high ethical standard. Research has actually shown that people like us will subconsciously resist doing things that we know or believe to be unethical. Therefore, if you set a goal with questionable ethics, subconsciously you will put off taking action on that goal. So, this might seem a silly check-off, but you’ve got to ask yourself the question so you aren’t sabotaging your goal setting journey from the start. For the same reason, you need to be honest with yourself because your sub-conscious knows when you’re not, and will
react by resisting action.
R Resourced
You will need to commit some resources to achieving your goals – this may be time, money, external support, information resources, etc. You may even have to make some sacrifices to achieve your goals, but if your goal is truly what you want to achieve, then a few personal sacrifices shouldn’t deter you. No pain, no gain!
The SMARTER goal process is highly effective at allowing you to set and achieve specific goals that have definable steps and actions. They are not so useful at directly achieving your long-term goals, other than for achieving the milestone goals that ultimately lead towards your big-picture. It is therefore important to keep using processes like Mind Mapping to keep sight of your big picture.
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