Goal Setting

We have all likely become aware of how important it is to make goals regarding our future in the work place. Goals helping achieve the greatness we all have in us are a huge part of any workplace review program and most HR departments are already implementing a "SMART" goals program into their review process. I am not going to talk about goals in general or using the SMART process in an organizational setting. I want to speak briefly about how to use them in your personal life. Yes, your personal life includes work but it also includes family, hobbies, fitness, personal growth, learning, and financial planning for the future and so much more.

First, a brief description of SMART goals is necessary for those that do not use it or have not heard of it. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time Based goals. A specific goal is much likelier to be accomplished. This means we have to answer the who, what, when, which, and why questions in our very first step. Measurable is pretty self explanatory, there must be measurements along the way so we can see our progress. The Achievable section is where we break it down and figure out how we are going to make the goal come true. We mark the things we are going to do and the resources we are going to use to achieve the goal. Realistic is where we question ourselves, "is this work something I am both willing and able to do?" Time based just means we have a reasonable timeline. this is not an open ended deal.

So, now that we have a basic understanding of what a SMART goal is you can likely see how they can be used in personal goals as well as work related goals. They are a great tool for any fitness goal or healthy lifestyle changes you may want to make. You can also use this process in relationship improvements or even in furthering education. I think you get my drift here. I would like to point out one additional idea that can be very helpful.

In his book entitled Smarter Faster Better, Charles Duhigg brings out the importance of also setting "stretch goals". A stretch goal is exactly what is sounds like. A big picture with a big goal (an example would be losing a large amount of weight). Stretch goals are really motivating but we often do not know how to get from point A to point B and C and so on. This is where our SMART goals come in. They are the practical bites we take in order to achieve the larger goal. Here is a quote from the book:

"It's often not clear how to start on a stretch goal. And so, for a stretch goal to become more than just an aspiration, we need a disciplined mindset to show us how to turn a far-off objective into a series of realistic short-term aims. People who know how to build SMART goals have often been habituated into cultures where big objectives can be broken down into manageable parts, and so when they encounter seemingly outsized ambitions, they know what to do. Stretch goals, paired with SMART thinking, can help put the impossible within reach." Charles Duhigg Smarter Faster Better- The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business

I hope you can use this brief information in your life. We all want to be the best we can be, and having some smart tools (pun intended) can help us along the way.