Have you ever wondered why some of your goals are quickly forgotten about and fall to the wayside, while the others seem as easy to do as a simple checklist? 

Each year, quarter or month we set goals for a better career, perfect health and our lives in general. Since we are putting forth the effort to set goals, wouldn’t it make sense if we got a little smarter about them so that more of them get accomplished?

In order to achieve your objective, I’ve found that one of the best things that you can do is to set a SMART goal. A SMART goal is a simple tool which is used by professionals and even individuals to go beyond the beat of fuzzy goal setting into an actionable plan for achieving their goals with better results. The elements of a SMART goal include:

• Specific: A clear and a well-defined goal that is capable of answering questions. 
• Measurable: A goal with a specific criteria which measures your progress for accomplishing the goal.
• Achievable: A goal that is attainable, you must be capable to achieve it. 
• Realistic: A goal that is applicable to your life purpose. 
• Time bounded: A goal which has a clearly defined timeline, including the starting date and the deadline date. 

Let me give some goal setting examples using SMART goals; 

Example 1:

Let’s say that your goal is to run a half marathon. Rather than going from being a couch potato to running over thirteen miles you should start by saying “I want to successfully run a 5k in the next 90 days”. Running a 5k in the next 90 days is much more attainable than jumping into running a marathon with a clearly defined timeline. When you set your goals in an optimistic manner using SMART goals, you’ll be able to set a series of attainable goals that will eventually help you to accomplish your desired goal of running a marathon. 

Example 2:

Let’s assume that you want to receive a passing score on an exam. This exam could be a defining factor in your education or career. Instead of just taking the exam and hoping for the best that you pass, setting a series of SMART goals would be incredibly beneficial. Perhaps you set a SMART goal to re-read all of the study material in 30 days and then set another SMART goal to achieve a score of 80% or greater on a practice test or quiz. This series of attainable and actionable goals could help you achieve your overall goal of passing the exam without feeling overwhelmed. 

Types of Goal setting 

There are five types of goal setting depending upon the priorities that you have and the things that you want to achieve. SMART goals are easily applied to all five types of goals. 

Career Goals

• To get a promotion
• To change careers
• To start your own business
• To increase income or profit
• To get a specific award 

Personal Development Goals

• To learn new skills 
• To grab new technologies
• To learn a foreign language
• To write a book
• To have a better attitude
• To improve your body language
• To read more books
• To create blogs
• To travel your dream destinations 
• To start online course
• To gain confidence

Educational Goals

• To earn a degree or certification.
• To branch out into new areas of study.
• To learn a new skill in your area of study or expertise. 
• To make time to read.
• To study extra challenging courses

Financial Goals

• To pay off loans or debt. 
• Buying a home.
• Save for retirement.
• To create an emergency fund.
• To invest in stock/bonds/gold/shares.

Physical and Health Goals

• To stay fit and active.
• To boost your immune system. 
• To improve your diet.
• To improve mobility. 

It’s very freeing when you finally realize that you have the power to make your life whatever you desire it to be. If you’re devoted to your goals, nobody can stop you in your efforts to achieve them. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing that your success doesn’t depend on anyone else. What goals will you be applying the SMART goal method to? 

To Your Success,

Jairek Robbins