Setting and Achieving Goals the SMART Way

Tired of coming up with great ideas that never see the light of day? Have a great idea but no idea how to take it from concept to reality? Business objectives that need to be met but you don’t have a plan? Don’t give up! Learn how to achieve your goals the SMART way.

It’s the time of year when everyone is thinking about goals for the coming year. Whether you are a business owner with objectives to meet, or you have personal goals you want to achieve, the SMART strategy will help keep you on track. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based.

First, be specific when setting goals. Statements like I want to increase my revenue, my number of clients, or I want to lose weight are not specific. Stating that my goal is to increase my revenue by 20%, or to add 10 new clients per week, or to lose 20 pounds is very specific. Now you have a clear vision of what you are trying to achieve. If your goal is ambiguous you’ll never know if you reach it. Don’t let yourself be deterred by the fact that you don’t know how it will happen.

Second, make your goals measurable. There are few things more motivating than hitting a goal. But if you don’t have a measure you miss out on that sense of satisfaction of being able to say “I did it!”. Regardless of the type of goal - increased revenue, number of clients, weight loss, life/work balance – quantify it so you’ll know when you can check it off the list.

Third, make your goals achievable. Don’t set yourself up for failure from the start. If you’re goal is to start a workout regime and you don’t currently workout, start small and build up. Trying to go from 0 to 60 rarely works and is just discouraging. Ultimate achievements are built by stringing together many small, attainable goals.

Fourth, be realistic. I love the idea of running a marathon. However, I don’t actually like to run so this is probably not a realistic goal for me. Be careful that you don’t use realistic as an excuse to shy away from trying something though. Part of the fun of goal setting is stretching your comfort zone. It’s fun to see yourself doing something you never thought you could do.

Lastly, set time frames for the completion of goals. While your ultimate goal may have a time frame of one year, the mini-goals you are setting to reach the big goal will have much shorter time lines. Time limits provide motivation and help keep you focused.

Some final thoughts: be sure to document all your steps in writing. Seeing your goals and the steps you are taking to achieve them in writing is a very powerful tool. It increases commitment, provides a road map, a checklist, and a record of your accomplishments. Challenge yourself to remove words like can’t, should, and have to from your vocabulary. A positive attitude goes a long way in achieving your goals.

A coach is a great resource when it comes to achieving goals, they help guide you through the goal setting process, help you stay focused, brainstorm with you if you get stuck, and act as your accountability partner.