Why setting up SMART goals is important?

Yar
6 min readNov 16, 2020

--

Setting up goals and going through the process of achieving them might be easier said than done and that is because the process itself can be frustrating. However, we all know that it is important for many reasons, mainly for the fact that it gives us a sense of directions and help us stay focused.

A lot of people can say that their goal is to “be a millionaire by the age of 30 or 40” but very few actually do it. And those who do it, know for a fact that planning and pursuing goals is a complex process.

Be that as it may, when the plan is done effectively, you can achieve wonders.

“Setting goals is the first step from turning the invisible to visible.” — Tony Robbins

Of course, it will also take discipline and devotion to achieve the goals that you set for yourself, the good news is that you can slowly gain those skills over time once your plan is efficient and precise.

And the more you understand your goal, the easier it would become to pursue it and eventually achieve it.

This is where SMART goals come into place.

What are SMART goals?

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.

SMART goals represent almost every aspect of what makes a goal worthy of pursuing. This model can be used in many different cases, both professionally and personally. And when set up right, the results can be spectacular.

After all, since we all have goals, some being more far fetched than others, it is good that we break them down and analyse them in a deeper sense with the SMART goal model.

Why SMART goals?

This type of break down of goals, gives us that sense of direction that guides us through the journey of success and at the same time, helps us understand and absorb the process ahead.

It is like sailing and having a map which directs you towards the land, if the map is not clear enough then you are unaware of the obstacles you might face, and that might make it hard for you to reach your end destination

And that is why SMART goals makes it easier to understand and digest the process of achieving goals.

How SMART goals are done?

It is pretty straight forward, to achieve the effective SMART goal, you must tackle every aspect of the model by answering each of the following:

1. Is your goal Specific?

You goal must be very specific in its nature and clear enough into what it is trying to accomplish. You must think of why, who, what, and possibly, where does this goal define itself, regardless of whether it is personal or professional.

For example: say that you want to save money to buy a Tesla. That by itself is not a specific enough goal, it is just a hope or an idea.
The goal would be “ I want to make X euros in savings each month over the course of next year to be able to buy that Tesla”

2. How Measurable is your goal?

Metrics, numbers and graphs make a huge difference both in the short and long term. When you have a graphical or metrical representation of your progress, it will make it much easier to pinpoint where you can improve and where you already excel.

So it is important that you invest time setting up measures and ways into which you can track the progress of your pursuit.

Let us look at our example: To be able to achieve X each month, you will have to gain Y each month! and if metrics and calculations say that Y is not enough, you will perhaps have to start working extra hours or getting a second job to get there.

3. Is your goal Achievable after all?

It goes without saying, but in order for you to achieve a set goal, it must be realistic to your situation. Can you really do this goal?, do you have the skills, do you have the time and the resources?. If not, can you acquire them? Do you have the time to acquire them?

It is inevitable that some goals, or part of the goals, might be a little out of our limits, and would require more investments into attaining them.

Back to our example: Now if you find yourself in need of more monthly income, you might need to take extra training to work another job, or perhaps you might need to invest time searching for that other job that fits your current qualifications and skills.

4. How Relevant is your goal in the long run?

Your goals need to be relevant to your core values before anything else, this way you can easily tackle the obstacles and problems along the way and always be ready to get back on your track. Not only that, but having relevant goals will also give you a sense of purpose when you are working those long hours trying to achieve your tasks.

A good idea would be to ask yourself the following:

“Does this goal relate to who I am and who I want to be?”

“Does it link to my overall brand or profession?”

If the answers are far from a yes, then you might easily get distracted along the way and lose motivation, because that is not what you really want, at least for now as it might simply not be the right time to pursue that goal and hence why you will need to re-evaluate!

5. Is the goal Time-bound?

Finally, you will need to think of a time frame to your goal, meaning that you might need to set up a deadline!

Now we know that deadlines can be dreadful or frightening, and might remind us of those scare-fits during high school and university, but at the end of the day, deadlines work and they work magically.

Setting up time limits gives you direction and a sense of urgency, because without it, the work will always be delayed.

So it is best that you plan ahead and think about where your goal should reach and how it should finish.

Visualise what you can do today, in a week, in a month, in 6 months, in a year, and see how that fits in your life and how you can achieve your objective.

More things you should consider.

Setting the SMART goals is definitely a good start towards achieving what you really desire. Keep thinking of the overall big picture and don’t get distracted by the short-term comforts that could take you out off track.

Here are some tips:

Ask questions:
Don’t hesitate to ask questions even if they might make you embarrassed or less of yourself. There is no place for ego when you are pursuing success. Seeking information is never a negative thing and nowadays, it is easier than ever through the infinite resources and support found on the internet.

List and note things down:
List whatever you think matters to your journey, whether it is a set of tasks, a quote, an experience… literally anything. Keep noting down whatever you think is relevant so that it gets out of your head and can be seen from the outside.

Write and reflect:
Reflecting is very important to help your mental energy be at ease. Reflecting on your feelings and ideas frequently throughout your journey can bring wonders towards your progress, even if they might seem unrelated to your goal at the moment, but they definitely came to your head for a reason.

Always maintain a positive attitude:
Last but not least, you will always need to keep a positive attitude towards the journey that you set for yourself.
It is inevitable that you will face obstacles and might not feel as enthusiastic about the work mid way, and that is why it is vital that you keep that right attitude to not let yourself down and keep your progress going forward.

So to conclude, keep in mind that it is important to plan your goals well and to make them as SMART as possible so that you can effectively achieve them and learn from the process of doing so.

Plan for them well, even the bad and the difficult times, anticipate and prepare for them. We are all humans and having obstacles in our pursuits is unavoidable, so might as well be ready for them.

--

--

Yar
Yar

Written by Yar

I write about my marketing experiences and ideas in the start-ups ecosystem. I also enjoy writing about productivity and habit formation.

No responses yet