Corporate work environments loveeee an acronym, and the SMART for goal setting is a popular one. It’s also one we can easily co-opt for our own purposes.
What is a SMART Goal?
A SMART Goal is a framework for crafting a goal that is clear, actionable, and attainable.
SMART goals format.
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Relevant
T – Timely
Each letter has an associated set of questions whose answers will help you fully understand the scope of any given task. They generally boil down to these:
Specific—What are you trying to accomplish, and how will you do it?
Measurable—How will the success of the goal be measured (ie., money, effect)?
Achievable—Do you have the necessary skills or resources to actually complete the goal (and how do you gain them if not)?
Relevant—Does this goal relate to or progress any larger goals, and does that affect the importance of its completion?
Timely—What time frame should be given to complete the goal?
Answering all these questions as they pertain to a goal will have successfully turned it into a SMART principle goal.
How do I use SMART Goals outside of work?
SMART principle goals are heavily emphasized in work and school environments, but they can be helpful to apply to your personal goals as well. You can use SMART Goals in your personal life by simply running your goals through SMART.
For example, let’s say your personal goal is: “Learn a new language.”
That’s pretty vague, innit? Let’s revise that statement into a SMART goal.
Specific: “Learn a new language.” > “Learn intermediate Spanish.”
This step specifies what language you’re learning, and how much you want to learn of it.
Measurable: “Learn intermediate Spanish.” > “Reach a B1 level of Spanish, where I can hold basic conversations and write simple texts.”
Defining what you mean by “learn” in measurable terms allows you to actually track progress and know when you’ve succeeded. In this example, there are many free online tests you can take to evaluate your level of Spanish against the well-defined CEFR system (very measurable).
Achievable: “Reach a B1 level of Spanish, where I can hold basic conversations and write simple texts.” > “Study Spanish for 30 minutes every day with This Language App and This Online Course, plus talking with my Spanish buddy for an hour once a week.”
Establishing a realistic study plan that you know you can keep up with makes the goal attainable.
Relevant: “Learn Spanish because it will help me communicate with Spanish-speaking friends, enhance my travel experiences, broaden my cultural understanding, and challenge myself.”
Aligning your goal with personal motivations and broader objectives helps you to see the relevance and meaning in your goal.
Timely: “Over the next six months, I’ll study Spanish for 30 minutes every day using Language App, Online Course, and have a one-hour conversation with my Spanish buddy each week to reach an intermediate level where I can hold basic conversations and write simple texts.”
Adding a six month timer gives you a sense of urgency for motivation, plus helps in planning and tracking your goal progress.
Original goal:
“Learn a new language.”
SMART goal:
“Over the next six months, I’ll study Spanish for 30 minutes every day using Language App, Online Course, and have a one-hour conversation with my Spanish buddy each week to reach a B1 level where I can hold basic conversations and write simple texts. This will help me communicate with Spanish-speaking friends, enhance my travel experiences, broaden my cultural understanding, and challenge myself.”
She’s wordy, but this process made the goal specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely, which will make you much more likely to follow through with it.
SMART Goal Examples
Here are a few examples of turning non-SMART goals into SMART ones.
1. Writing a book
The non-SMART goal: “I will write a book.”
To make that SMART, we can go step by step.
Specific: “I will write a 50,000-word romance novel.”
Measurable: “I will write 1,000 words per day.“
Achievable: “I will set aside two hours each evening to write, blocking any other commitments during this time.”
Relevant: “Writing a romance novel is important to me because I want to establish myself as a romance author and this project aligns with my career goals.”
Timely: “I will complete the first draft of my novel within 50 days, starting next Monday and finishing by September 20th.”
SMART Goal: “I will complete my first draft of a 50,000 word-romance novel within 50 days, starting next Monday at 1,000 words per day. I will set aside two hours each evening to accomplish this. Writing a romance novel is important to me because I want to establish myself as an author and this project aligns with my goals.”
2. Fitness
Non-SMART Goal: “I want to get in shape.”
Specific: “I want to build muscle strength.”
Measurable: “I will strength train twice a week for 45 minutes.”
Achievable: “I will use my home gym to start with lighter weights and gradually increase as my strength grows.”
Relevant: “Getting in shape is important to me because I want to improve my overall health and have more energy.”
Timely: “I will follow this routine for the next 12 weeks, starting on August 1st, and reassess my progress on October 24th.”
SMART Goal: “I will strength train twice a week for 45 minutes to build muscle strength, using my home gym to start light and increase weight as I grow. I will follow this routine for the next 12 weeks, starting on August 1st, and reassess my progress on October 24th. Getting in shape is important to me because I want to improve my overall health and have more energy.”
3. Learning Guitar
Non-SMART Goal: “I want to learn to play the guitar.”
Specific: “I want to learn to play 5 beginner songs on the guitar.”
Measurable: “I will practice for 30 minutes every day and take a weekly lesson with an instructor.”
Achievable: “I will start with a book of simple strum patterns and basic chords.”
Relevant: “Learning to play the guitar is important to me because I want to develop a new hobby and be able to play music with my friends.”
Timely: “I will learn to play 5 songs within 3 months, starting from August 1st and completing by November 1st.”
SMART Goal: I want to learn to play 5 beginner songs on the guitar by practicing for half an hour every day and taking a weekly lesson with an instructor. I will use a book of to learn simple strum patterns and basic chords. Learning the guitar is relevant to develop a new hobby and play music with friends. I will learn those 5 songs within 3 months, between August and November 1st.
4. Saving Money
Non-SMART Goal: “I want to save more money.”
Specific: “I want to save a $5,000 emergency fund.“
Measurable: “I will save $500 per month by cutting down on unnecessary expenses and setting up automatic transfers to my savings account.”
Achievable: “I will create a budget to track my expenses and identify areas where I can save money.”
Relevant: “Saving this money is important to me because I want to have a financial cushion for unexpected expenses.”
Timely: “I will save $5,000 within 10 months, starting in August and reaching my goal by May next year.”
SMART Goal: I want to save a $5,000 emergency fund to have a financial cushion for unexpected expenses. I will save $500 a month by cutting my unnecessary spending and automating transfers to my savings account. I will create a budget to track my expenses. I will save $5,000 within 10 months, starting in August of this year and completing in May of next.
Weaknesses of SMART Goals
SMART Goals are a good way to sharpen your vision and process to accomplish what you set out to. But like anything, it has its own weaknesses.
Neglect of non-quantifiable goals
The emphasis on measurable outcomes can cause you to neglect important qualitative aspects of your performance, like creativity and innovation. In a corporate environment, this can also ignore your employees’ well-being.
Narrow scope
The SMART framework requires goals to be specific, sometimes resulting in goals that are too narrow, which can miss the broader context.
Ignoring the process
SMART principle goals are outcome oriented, which can lead to process neglect. The journey toward achieving your goals hopefully involves learning and growth, which can be overlooked or missed entirely if you’re too focused on the end result.
Alternatives to SMART Goals
There are a variety of methods to break down goals that are akin to SMART, but may fit your needs better. And they’re acronyms. 🙂
CLEAR goals
The CLEAR method of devising goals is a bit more adaptive and human-centric compared to SMART. It’s more effective for team goals. CLEAR stands for Collaborative, Limited, Emotional, Appreciable, and Refinable.
Collaborative: Goals should encourage teamwork and cooperation.
Limited: Goals should be limited in scope and duration to maintain focus and manageability.
Emotional: Goals should tap into the emotional drivers of individuals, motivating and inspiring them.
Appreciable: Large goals should be broken down into smaller, manageable tasks.
Refinable: Goals should be flexible and adaptable to surprises and new information.
HARD goals
HARD Goals emphasize personal passions to inspire commitment, either in yourself or in your team. HARD stands for Heartfelt, Animated, Required, and Difficult.
Heartfelt: Goals should resonate with personal values and desires.
Animated: Goals should be vividly described for a concrete idea of what we’re striving for.
Required: Goals should feel necessary.
Difficult: Goals should be challenging enough to push an individual beyond their comfort zone to allow for growth and creativity.
FAST Goals
FAST Goals build on SMART’s foundation to cater to a team-oriented environment. FAST Goals require constant revision and communication and adjust to new, ongoing insights. FAST stands for Frequently discussed, Ambitious, Specific, and Transparent.
Frequently discussed: Goals should be regularly reviewed and discussed to maintain focus, alignment, and flexibility.
Ambitious: Goals should be challenging to inspire effort.
Specific: The goals should be clearly defined.
Transparent: Goals should be openly shared to ensure accountability and collaboration.
WOOP Method
WOOP is a goal-setting strategy that works to mitigate SMART’s drawback in lack of foresight and flexibility, providing mental contrast of positive thinking with realistic planning. WOOP stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, and Plan.
Wish: Identify a meaningful and challenging goal.
Outcome: Visualize the best possible outcome.
Obstacle: Recognize and anticipate personal obstacles that might hold you back.
Plan: Create an if-then plan to address those obstacles (If X happens, then I will do Y.)
BHAG
Big Hairy Ass Goals are those huge goals, like, life dream huge. To participate in BHAGs, you have to dream big, put those dreams on paper, and create a strategic plan to achieve them. The general guide is that your goal should low-key terrify you. That’s what makes them big and hairy. 🙂
Big: The goal should be huge in scope.
Hairy: The goal should be daunting and maybe even intimidating.
Ass: The goal should be bold and ambitious.
Goal: The goal could be clear and compelling.
Key Points
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. Addressing these aspects as they pertain to a goal will provide a more calculated approach to accomplishing it.
Some weaknesses of SMART Goals include missing goals that are harder to quantify, a narrow scope, and neglecting the process.
Similar alternatives to SMART are CLEAR, HARD, or FAST Goals, as well as the WOOP method. Or BHAG if you’re feeling ambitious and whimsical.
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