When you are setting a goal, you are providing yourself a target that you have to aim for or achieve one way or the other. But you don’t know any way for where to start and how to accomplish it? You struggle to understand that you are working hard for many years and what did you get from it?
It urges you to stop working on it and move on to other tasks/projects/jobs. Setting goals are important to survive desperation. Even if you are setting goals for work or your personal life, creating SMART goals increase the chances of meeting long-term goals. So here we are, to help you go through it.
What are the 5 SMART Goals?
- SMART Goals are the statements of results/tasks you are working on to execute.
- It develops a foster clear and mutually understandable point of view on your future performance.
- It constitutes what professional development and level of performance is required to achieve a specific goal.
Why Should One Prefer SMART Goals?
Preferring SMART goals in your life helps in accomplishing the work not the hard way but the easy way by being consistent. It helps in
- Increase something
- Make something
- Improve something
- Reduce something
- Save something
- Develop yourself
SMART Goal criteria
| Specific | State exactly what you want to accomplish. What specific actions will you take? |
| Measurable | How will you illustrate and evaluate the extent to which the goal has been met? I.e. What data will measure the goal? How much? And How well? |
| Attainable | Stretch and challenge the goals within the ability to achieve the outcome. Is the goal doable? Do you have the necessary skills and resources to achieve the output? |
| Relevant | How does the goal lie in your key responsibilities or align with border goals? Why is the result important? |
| Time-bound | Set one or more target dates, i.e. “by when” to estimate the time frame for completing the goal. |
How To Write Your Smart Goal? – What does smart goals stand for
SMART Goals stand for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. People ask How can I make my goals more attainable? Here is the answer to such questions and many more.
Specific
Be specific about what you want to accomplish. It isn’t specific to know yet how you will meet the goal. But you should try to answer the following “W” questions. Following are the smart goals examples:
- Who – Who needs to be involved to achieve the goal?
- What – What do you want to accomplish? Don’t be afraid to get very detailed.
- Why – Why is the goal important?
- Where – Where is it located? This question may not always apply if there is any relative location or event. Identify here.
- Which – Which resources or limits are involved? Determine any related obstacles and requirements here.
- When – When will you reach the goal? You can be more specific about it under the time-bound section, but you should at least set the time frame.
Measurable
To keep the track of progress and keep motivated, it is necessary to have measurable goals. To meet the goals what metrics you are going to specify? It helps in keep track of the progress. It helps you to stay focused, and meet the deadlines to fulfill your goals.
A measurable goal should address the following questions:
- How much?
- How many?
- How will I know when it is achieved?
Attainable
It focuses on how important the goal is to you and what you can do to make it achievable. It may require changing attitudes and developing new skills. The goal is to get motivated, so don’t get discouraged.
Think about:
- How to accomplish the goal?
- Do you have the tools/skills needed?
- If not, consider what it would take to attain them.
Relevant
This step ensures that your goal matters and also aligns with other relevant and broader goals. For example, if You launch a new program or a service, it should be aligned with your other department’s objectives or overall business. Your team may be able to launch a new program, but if it is not able to project that type of new program, then the goal wouldn’t be relevant.
If your goal is relevant, you must be able to answer ‘Yes’ to these questions.
- Does this seem worthwhile?
- Does this match our other efforts/needs?
- Is this the right time?
- Am I the right person to reach the considered goal?
- Is it applicable in the current socio-economical environment?
Time-bound
Every work/project should have a targetted deadline to execute the plan within the time and work forward.
A time-bound goal can answer the following questions:
- When?
- What can I do today?
- What can I do six weeks from now?
- What can I do six months from now?
Conclusion:
We hope that the given goal-setting technique will help you to be productive. It will assure you set goals that are attainable and specific. Are you planning your goals? You should start projecting them by using SMART Goal criteria
Then from time to time review and reassess your goal. It can help you whether you need to make changes in your plan to meet your goals successfully.
Answering the SMART goals questions, and if you are making progress, boosts your confidence and hopefully, you will be able to achieve the goal within the deadline.
