Elbert Hubbard once said, "Many people fail in life, not for lack of ability or brains or even courage, but simply because they have never organized their energies around a goal." Setting goals doesn't have to be frustrating if you use the acronym SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-based. These criteria can take the guesswork out of goal-setting and increase the chances of success and progress in every area you apply it to. SMART goals can be made for every area of life, including professional, private, spiritual and relational areas.
Step 1
Make specific goals because they provide a clear target to aim for. For example, a specific goal would be, "I want to lose 20 pounds" instead of saying, "I want to improve my health." By having specific goals, you can easily track your progress and complete your goal.
Step 2
Set up a form of measurement. Without measurement, you cannot know if you've reached your goals. Many companies do this by setting quotas for their employees. These quotas, although unpleasant at times, take the guesswork out of evaluating performance.
Step 3
Make goals that are attainable, which are within your reach. Evaluate your goals based on how feasible they are to complete, then sort your goals based on if they are attainable or if they need to be pushed back, either temporarily or indefinitely.
Step 4
Make the goals relevant so they have direct application and meaning in your life. Evaluating your goals by relevance is important to ensure that you're not wasting time on pointless goals. For example, you might have several hobbies that you enjoy but have nothing to do with the areas of life you most highly value. Setting goals for those hobbies is fine, but evaluating them based on relevance will allow you to prioritize more efficiently.
Step 5
Make time-based goals. Time-based goals have a beginning and an end. These goals are easier to monitor and adjust. For example, many people say, "I want to be a lifelong learner." This goal is not specific and has no immediate time frame. A better goal would be, "I want to read a book a month." This goal fulfills the first goal, is more specific and has a time frame that will allow you to measure progress.
Tips and Warnings
- Reevaluate your goals often to keep yourself on track and moving forward Keeping a journal of present and future goals can be helpful to stay organized and not let goals fall through the cracks.
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