ABSORB 360 Blog

Are Your Goals SMART?


Whether we set goals for business or for our personal lives, they need to be SMART if we hope to succeed. 

Our goals should inspire us and motivate us to take action.  They should ignite a fire in our mind and soul.

The November 1981 issue of Management Review contained a paper by George T. Doran called There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management's goals and objectives.  He gave us the acronym S.M.A.R.T. to help us understand if our goals are worthy to be pursued and how to go about pursuing them.

Ideally, if we want to succeed and attain our goals, they should be S.M.A.R.T.

•    Specific – target a specific area for improvement.
•    Measurable – quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress.
•    Assignable – specify who will do it.
•    Realistic – state what results can realistically be achieved, given available resources.
•    Time-related – specify when the result(s) can be achieved.

 We need to combine objective and action.  We can’t just have a great plan, but we need to take action.

Just like if we planned the perfect route to get to the perfect destination, we would still need to get in the car and drive.  Standing in the Minnesota snow with a great map to get us to Florida, won’t bring us any closer to the ocean if we don’t get moving!

Paul J. Meyer describes the characteristics of S.M.A.R.T. goals in Attitude is Everything.

Specific

Your goal must be clear and detailed.  To make goals specific, you must know exactly what you expect to achieve.  Consider why it is important to you and what life will be without achieving it.

A specific goal will usually answer the five 'W' questions:

•    What: What do I want to accomplish?
•    Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.
•    Who: Who is involved?
•    Where: Identify a location.
•    Which: Identify requirements and constraints.

Measurable

Secondly, we need to be able to progress toward the goal. The thought behind this is that if a goal is not measurable it is not possible to know whether you are making progress toward the goal. Measuring progress helps us to stay on track.

A measurable goal will usually answer questions such as:

•    How much?
•    How many?
•    How will I know when it is accomplished?
•    Indicators should be quantifiable

Attainable

The third thing we must consider is if our goals are realistic and attainable. Goals should stretch us and be something worth striving to attain.  They should neither be below our ability or out of reach. 

An achievable goal will usually answer the question How?

•    How can the goal be accomplished?
•    How realistic is the goal based on other constraints?

Relevant

The fourth area of importance is choosing goals that matter. The goal to “make lunch by 12 pm” may be specific, measurable, attainable and time-bound, but it lacks relevance.

A relevant goal can answer yes to these questions:

•    Does this seem worthwhile?
•    Is this the right time?
•    Does this match our other efforts/needs?
•    Are you the right person?

Time-bound

The final criteria stresses the importance setting your goals within a time-frame, giving them a date to be completed. A commitment to a deadline helps you to not only complete your goal, but often complete it before the due date. This part of the SMART goal is intended to help us not get side-tracked with the Tyranny of the Urgent.  By setting a time frame, we create a sense of urgency.

A time-bound goal will usually answer the question:

•    When?
•    What can I do six months from now?
•    What can I do six weeks from now?
•    What can I do today?

So, are your goals SMART?  Take a few minutes and sit down with your goals and run them through this test.  If you need to make a few changes, don’t hesitate.  Do it today!  You will be one step closer to achieving your dreams.

If you found value in these success tips, please share some of your goals and comment below, or share on www.facebook.com/absorb360

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Be SMART.  Be blessed!