How to set SMART goals, the right way

Maintaining the motivation to get things done is a challenge we have all experienced. Whether you're a student juggling deadlines or a small business owner keeping track of one million tasks on your never ending to-do list, a lack of motivation is always difficult to overcome. Professionals in mental health care have prescribed SMART goals for decades to help their patients overcome challenges with motivation, and get them back on track. Although the behavioural change required to make them effective takes work, it can be done with a bit of time and continued practice. While not everyone is ready to make changes to their routine, research has shown that beginning the process of setting SMART goals can help people better understand their personal values, become realistic with what they can accomplish today, and see the benefits of accomplishing small goals to boos self-esteem, create satisfaction, and fuel motivation to tackle bigger challenges. So let's get started! What is a SMART Goal? It's an acronym used to help people craft thoughtful and effective goals. It stands for the following: Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time-Specific The biggest blocker to achieving goals is creating one that seems impossible to achieve. The SMART framework was developed to help you create goals that are both realistic and attainable. Often times this can be the one thing holding you back. To understand the value of SMART goals, let's go through the acronym together. Specific Nothing is worse than a goal that lacks specificity. To avoid this, a great place to start is by using the five W's: Who is involved? What do you want to achieve? When do you want to achieve it? Where do you need to be to succeed? Why do you want to achieve this goal? If the details around your goal answers these specific questions, then you're on the right track. Measurable Having an objective with an ambiguous definition of success is a surefire way to fail before you start. Having a clear way to determine when you are done is important to a well-constructed goal. Setting milestones can also be helpful when working towards distant goals, and it creates opportunities for you to review progress and celebrate milestones as they are achieved. Achievable It can be demoralizing to feel like you're not making the progress you were expecting. Make sure you set goals that are realistic and achievable. Be honest with yourself and the roadblocks you have to overcome. To make sure your goals is achievable, be clear on how you will accomplish it, and determine if the goal is within reach right now. If not, what skills or steps are required to change that? Think about all the pieces that you will need to accomplish the goal, and create a plan for how you will acquire those resources. Remember - honesty is key! Relevant It's always good to know why you're doing something in the first place. Is it worthwhile to try it at this moment in your life? Remember that your time is limited, and you don't want to spend time chasing a goal that you're not equipped to tackle right now. Make sure you understand what sets this goal apart from the rest before committing to it. Time-Specific This is arguably the most important detail to get right. Having a deadline ensure that you are expected to re-evaluate your goal on a regular cadence, and actively combats procrastination. Remember that closer deadlines are more relevant, and keeps motivation higher as you track your progress. Now that we know the details of a SMART goal, let's look at an example. Example of a SMART Goal Here's an example many of us can relate with! My goal is to exercise five days per week. To keep my goal specific, i'm going to make sure I exercise from Monday through Friday, and rest on the weekends. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday will be at the local gym for one hour, while Tuesdays and Thursdays will be for a run outside. To keep my goal measurable, I have written a fitness schedule with a plan for each day at the gym, and I can time my runs on my smartphone to make sure it lasts for at least 30 minutes each session. To keep my goal attainable, I have downloaded an app to track my progress. It provides me with reminders when my workout is approaching, to make sure I don't forget. My goal is relevant because I have always had issues with body positivity and weight loss. I'm committing to changing that, because there's no better time than the present! Finally, I made my first milestone time-specific by creating this schedule for one month. From there, I will review and see whether anything needs to changed before setting a new goal and progressing further into my fitness journey. Best Practices, Tips & Tricks The best thing to do now is getting started. After building a habit of setting goals, this process will become easier. To assist in the journey, here are a couple of tips. Use clear language. Don't leave room for interpretation when setting a goal, and make sure it is clear what the answer for each question is in your SMART goal. Make sure you quantify your goals. If you cannot measure progress, you're never going to get anywhere. Be honest about time and complexity. Don't underestimate the effort required to reach a goal. You won't be doing yourself any favours! Break large goals down into smaller sub goals. Nothing feels worse than working towards something that can only be accomplished a year from now. Break it down into something that can achieved in a month, then set another goal to progress further! Good luck with your goals! If this article helped, send us a tweet @hi_speakbox and share your story.

How to set SMART goals, the right way

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