SMARTER goals
Goal-setting can be a contentious subject! I think it’s fair to say that most people would recognise that having some kind of destination in mind is a good idea! Unless you never leave your house (and I recognise that some people cannot) you have to have some kind of plan to get to places. And you have to know where it is you want to go!
You don’t just go to the bus stop (hello, how did you end up there) and step on a bus without having a destination in mind.
Goal-setting is really just that - having a clear idea of where you want to end up!.
The next bit is getting to the bus stop and getting on the right bus - and that’s the planning stage.
However, goals need to be a bit more precise than just “Edinburgh”, or “exercise more”, or “learn a language” or “have a successful business”.
You may be familiar with the standard concept of SMART goals - for a goal to be a goal (rather than a wish or a dream).
Namely:
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant (or Realistic) and Time-bound.
An example, instead of “lose weight”, would be “I am going to lose 14 lbs by June 30th so that I can fit into my blue dress”.
Or, I am going to increase the number of Instagram posts by 15% by June 30th (end of Q2) so that website traffic will increase.
Now, some authors have taken this a little further and talk of SMARTER goals:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Actionable
- Risky
- Time-keyed
- Exciting
- Relevant
(this is the version from Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt - other versions exist)
Let’s look at some of those in more detail! I like Actionable as it puts the focus on DOING something! Achievable is a little passive. This already feels like you are going to MAKE something happen.
Risky may jump out at you too - Hyatt contends that “Realistic” might just be a little too much within your comfort zone! Stretching your goals is likely to make you rise to the challenge - too easy and you may just relax and go with the flow - and miss your targets. Of course this is all a matter of degree and how risk-averse you are, but you need to push yourself.
Exciting - again, this partly relates back to the “Risk” element. If it’s all too safe it won’t excite you - and then you are likely not to care enough! You also need to set your own goals that excite you, if you are given targets by your employer that’s ok but you need to build your own goals around that. “If I make my sales target I will get a bonus and that means the dream trip to Disneyland for the family”.
I think most of us to an extent do some of this anyway - the difference is articulating it, and writing it down, and sharing it (with the right people).
So let me think how you feel about SMARTER goals, the Risk and Exciting elements - and if they inspire you!