Set SMART Goals
Working towards a goal—large or small—is fulfilling. Using the SMART goal-setting structure will put you on track for getting what you want in life.
SMART is an acronym for five characteristics listed below that are used to help guide your goal setting by creating an action plan. You will be able to create clear, attainable, and meaningful goals that include the support and motivation to achieve your goals. SMART goals are effective in planning both overarching and refined goals.
Overarching goals are set to help a person reach a desired positive outcome. An individual may be focused on having more work-life harmony, being healthier, or living more mindfully. Refined goals are set to achieve specific objectives for a certain part of your life. Setting career goals is an example of a refined goal. These goals can be short-term (e.g., obtaining favorable outcomes in X number of cases) or long-term (e.g., making partner).
Either way, SMART goals must align with your values and priorities.
Follow this SMART guideline to write out your goals.
Specific: Your goals must be clearly defined.
- What do you want to accomplish? Why?
- What will you gain from accomplishing this?
Measurable: Recording data will gauge your progress and provide motivation and accountability.
- Use a journal, phone app, spreadsheet, or calendar to track your progress
Achievable: Select goals that are challenging, yet attainable; then develop a clear action plan.
- How will you accomplish this goal?
- What healthy habits will you need to build into your routine?
- What hurdles do you anticipate?
Relevant: Align your goals with your current life circumstances.
- Does this goal align with your values, availability, and resources?
- Does this goal enhance the quality of your life and well-being?
Time-Bound: Setting a specific period to accomplish your goals provides you with a North Star that keeps you motivated and forward moving.
- Be specific and realistic about your time frame.
- Set time allotments if achieving your goal is going to be done in increments (i.e., setting a goal to exercise five days per week and starting at two days per week).
- What will you do to celebrate when you reach your goal?
SMART Goal Pitfalls
When setting your SMART goals, avoid these pitfalls:
1. Being too general or unclear: A well-defined goal will provide you with focused direction.
- Unclear goal: Make more money.
- Specific goal: Increase my billable hours by 10 hours each month.
2. Overlooking measurability: Tracking measurability is a way to stay motivated.
- Not measurable: Get 7 hours of sleep each night.
- Measurable: Use my health app to track hours slept each night.
3. Failing to set a time frame: A timeline creates a sense of urgency, which can help maintain momentum.
- No time frame: Bring a healthy lunch to work more often.
- With time frame: Order in lunch a maximum of 2x per workweek for the next 3 months.
4. Setting an unrealistic goal: Realize that some large goals may be achieved through a series of small goals.
- Big goal: Lose 60 lbs. this year.
- Realistic goal: Lose 3–5 lbs. each month for the next 6 months.
Create Healthy Habits
Habits are routines or behaviors that are repeated with regularity such that they can occur subconsciously. A Medical Research Council study showed that the average amount of time to form a habit was 66 days. Instead of placing a numerical value on it, focus on the fact that the longer you stick with the behavior, the more likely it will become a habit. Note that a negative action or behavior can also become a habit!
Action Item: Make a list of healthy habits that have positively impacted your life over the past year and a list of unwanted habits that you would like to discard. Now make a list of new healthy habits that you would like to add to your list.
Here are some strategies that can help make your new behaviors stick.
- Update your environment by making changes that encourage your new habits such as putting time limits on social media, discarding junk food from your pantry, and clearing off your treadmill.
- Once you have established consistency with one habit, stack it with a new habit or activity. For example, pair dinner and an evening walk, or do a meditation after brushing your teeth.
- Track your habit daily/weekly on a calendar or in a journal, app, or spreadsheet.
Think of your healthy habits as algorithms that operate in your mind’s background to power you toward your goals.
Surround Yourself with a Support System
An accountability partner is someone who will keep you motivated. Discuss with your partner your goals and establish a time to check in; you may both use an app with shared access or check in via text, phone, or email on certain days. You may also choose to initiate a firm-wide habits challenge to foster team building.
Create a Mantra
A personal mantra is a motivational phrase that gives you confidence to keep reaching for your goal. Develop one that resonates with your goal. For example, “I live according to my values and prioritize self-care” could be a mantra for someone whose goal is to focus on their mental and physical well-being.
Stay Flexible
Stay open to adjusting your goals if circumstances in your life change. Re-evaluate your plan and adapt rather than give up.
Conclusion
Following the SMART goal-setting framework is a powerful strategy for effective goal setting. It will help you create an actionable plan that can lead to meaningful growth in your career and personal development. The SMART goal setting you do today will set you up for success in the new year and many years beyond.