Goal setting can be very overwhelming and not hitting your goals can be stressful and discouraging. Where do I even start? What goals should I set? How do I keep consistent with my goal setting habit?
Don’t worry - we’ll break down the tips to make goal setting easy and fun using the SMART goals framework!
This article is about the secrets to goal setting using SMART goals!
GOAL SETTING 101
Life is stressful enough already so don’t worry, goal setting is NOT something you have to do EVERY day for the rest of your life! The purpose of goal setting with SMART goals is to create lifelong habits that will eventually become automatic and habitual. By implementing these habits regularly, you will experience a range of positive benefits across all areas of your life!
Benefits to goal setting with SMART goals:
- Become more productive at work, at home, and in life overall
- Improve your relationships with family and friends
- Prioritize your self care
- Implement more healthy habits into your life
- Get you closer to achieving your desired future life (long-term vision)
Sounds pretty great, right!? Let's break down the 5 key strategies for goal setting with SMART goals!
SMART GOALS
What are SMART goals? SMART goals are a simple acronym, or framework that once applied will make your goals easier to achieve. The S.M.A.R.T in SMART goals stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. Let's dive into each of these in more detail to help you build your goal setting strategy.
SPECIFIC
The more specific you can be with your goals the better. Vague goals can be harder to work towards, so try and get as detailed as you can about your goal. If you want to implement healthier habits in your life and set a goal of “eat healthier”, make sure you are clear on how you define “healthier”. For example, does that mean eating more fruit and vegetables, or less junk food? Try further defining your goal to “eat 2 servings of vegetables a day.” The less ambiguity, the easier it will be to know what you are working towards.
SMART goal example questions to ensure your goal is SPECIFIC: “can I further define this?” or “What exactly am I looking to accomplish?”
MEASURABLE
To achieve more of your goals, make them measurable - meaning you can easily track them. To do this, create clear parameters that define each goal so you know if you've accomplished it. Instead of setting the goal “be more productive at work” shift it to “call 20 new clients” - that way it's easier to measure whether you achieved it and track your success.
SMART goal example questions to ensure your goal is MEASURABLE: “How will I know when I’ve met my goal?” or “How am I going to track my success?”
ATTAINABLE
Set goals that you have the resources to actually achieve, but are still challenging enough. You don't want to set goals that are too easy, but goals that are too difficult can leave you feeling stressed or discouraged - so try and find the balance between goals that are ambitious but also realistic to achieve.
SMART goal example question to ensure your goal is ATTAINABLE: “Do I have the skills, resources, and time to achieve this goal?”
RELEVANT
This one is often overlooked but equally as important as the others. It can be fun and exciting to hit our goals but make sure your goals are aligned with your long-term vision and not just as a checkbox. To do this, you need to be clear on your long-term goals - Where do you want to be in 1 year and 3 years from now? Once you are aligned with your long-term vision, set goals that move you in that direction.
SMART goal example questions to ensure your goal is RELEVANT: “Is this goal worthwhile for me right now?” or “does this goal get me closer to where I want to be in the future?” or “is this goal meaningful to me?”
TIMELY
The final tip for goal setting is to create deadlines for your goals. Assigning yourself a realistic timeline will help hold you accountable and keep you on track.
For example, instead of having a goal “launch my website” - make it “launch my website by April 1st.” To help determine what date to choose, make sure you understand all of the steps needed and how long each of those steps will take to complete. Once you know the steps and your final deadline, you can create a reverse timeline or roadmap to keep you on track.
To use the example from above - let’s say today is January 1st and you want to launch your website by April 1st. Next, you’ve identified the steps needed (create a domain, take photos, write the content, etc.) and chronologically ordered them working backward from April 1st. Now you know you need to create the domain and take photos by Feb 1st to give you enough time to create your content and launch by April 1st. The more specific you can be about the steps needed, the easier it will become to achieve your goals within your timeline.
Sometimes deadlines can add stress so make sure your timeline is attainable (see the previous tip). If you want to launch a website but you haven’t even started the research on how to do it, don’t give yourself a one-month runway. Take time to understand how long the steps will take and feel free to give yourself a little extra buffer to account for any unexpected delays.
SMART goal example questions to ensure your goal is TIMELY: “What is the deadline for this goal?” or “when does this need to be accomplished by?” or “what date will I complete this?”
WHY WE DON'T STICK TO OUR GOALS
Now that you know the tips for goal setting with SMART goals, let's chat about why we don't stick to our goals in the first place.
If you’re like me, you get really excited to set a bunch of great goals, make a cute checklist to track them, and the first few weeks are great! You work really hard to prioritize them and you do a great job. But then, over the next few weeks, you get busy and eventually just give up altogether.
But why does this happen? SMART goals are great, but they forgot one key piece of goal setting - Accountability. You can set all the SMART goals you want, but if you don’t have someone to support and motivate you, it can be hard to continue your goal setting habits. Life can be chaotic and the busy seasons of life make it difficult to keep on track. When life gets hectic, usually the first things we stop doing are the things for ourselves! To help avoid this, find yourself an accountability buddy or group!
FIND AN ACCOUNTABILITY BUDDY
This part is critical so prioritize it! Once you have your goals, seek out a person or group that can help you stay motivated. You can start with a trusted friend, family member, or coworker - and send them your goals. Make sure to communicate with them what you are looking for in this partnership. The goal here is to have someone help you stay on track and prevent you from breaking your goal setting habits.
The next important piece is to determine the cadence (or how often) you want to check in with them - find a schedule that works for both of you.
The great part about finding accountability buddies is that sometimes they want to join in with you and it can become something you do together. The more you commit to this goal setting journey, the more people you will find that start doing it with you. Next thing you know, you have built a community of like-minded people all working towards their goals.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
If you are interested in a worksheet to help you create SMART goals, click here for a printable checklist!
Once you apply the SMART goals techniques above you will be unstoppable! To help make your goals more achievable, avoid setting vague goals and make them as SPECIFIC as possible. You want to hit your goals (duh!) so make them MEASURABLE by setting clear parameters around how they are defined. Find the balance between setting goals that are challenging, but still ATTAINABLE to achieve. Make sure your goals are RELEVANT by ensuring that align with your long-term vision. Don’t forget to set realistic TIMELINES and deadlines to keep you on schedule.
Lastly, to fully maximize your new goal setting technique, send your SMART goals to an accountability buddy that can keep you moving forward. Don't forget, goal setting isn’t perfect and shouldn't cause additional stress (we already have enough of that in our lives) so just do your best!
If you enjoy building successful habits, check out this easy-to-use habit tracker that changed my life!
You've already taken the initiative to learn about goal setting with SMART goals, so pat yourself on the back- you are a rockstar and I can’t wait to see what you achieve!
Want to use SMART goals to create a productive morning routine? Use this morning routine planner to help motivate and keep you on track!
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