Setting SMART Goals

Everybody has a goal they want to achieve be it big or small and each unique to the person setting it. Goals are the things that we aspire to achieve and can be a great way to improve personal development and growth. After achieving a goal you should have a sense of accomplishment, growth and satisfaction. However, setting goals and achieving them can be 2 very different things and the journey of achieving them can all rely on what goals you set and how you set them. In this article I will explain the best way to set goals to create the best chance of success going forward. 

SMART Goals

SMART goals is a tool that everyone should use when setting a goal. SMART stands for:

S- specific

M- measurable

A- achievable

R- relevant

T- timed

When you set a goal you should be able to work through each letter in SMART and check that your goal meets each criteria. Once you have ticked off each letter you know the goal you have is ready for you to start working on it. Now I’ll break down each letter and how to use them in your goals.

Specific - your goal should be specific and well defined. When something is specific it is very clear what you want to achieve with clearly defined metrics. Vague goals leave too much room for variation. More specific you are, the more focused you can be.

Measurable - you should be able to measure your goal with a definitive finish point. With a clear line in the sand you can say whether you have achieved your goal.

Achievable - your goal needs to be realistic and achievable. You can still be ambitious and strive for greatness but the goal you set you must be physically able to achieve or you’re only setting yourself up for failure. Sometimes this may include breaking down goals into smaller steps. Before saving one million pounds, first aim for one thousand.

Relevant - the goals you set must be relevant to what you want to achieve and align with your personal values and beliefs. This may seem obvious but it’s easy for us to see something we think we want but when it isn’t relevant to who we are and what we value then there is no desire to fulfill it. Additionally, a goal must be relevant to stimulate personal growth. If you set a goal that you already know you can achieve in that very moment then it isn’t a relevant goal. Your goal needs to be something that you need to work, train, practice, learn etc in order to to achieve success. It is this work that develops personal growth and a sense of achievement.

Timed - your goal needs a set time it will be completed by. The constraint of time forces you to act. If you don’t set a time there is no urgency, without urgency you become lazy and it becomes acceptable to wait until tomorrow to act. 

As you might be able to tell, most parts of SMART goals overlap or are connected in some way. In order to measure something you must be specific in what you’re measuring and what the specific goal number is. Usually most things are only achievable if they are relevant to the person. 

When you next set a goal use SMART goals as a check-list. If your goal ticks everything off, continue with your goal and create an action plan that will help you achieve your goal. If it doesn’t the simply look for ways to adapt your goal. Work through each letter one at a time and find a way to apply it to your goal. We’ll look at an example to see how this works.

Example goal: wanting to lose weight

Specific: not truly. There are many ways you can lose weight, and there are many ways to specify what losing weight is.

Measurable: No specific measurement is stated so this person could lose 100 kg and still not be happy.

Achievable: Yes, for most people losing any weight should be achievable as long as they haven’t got a medical condition.

Relevant: Yes. Again for most people losing weight will improve your health but because they have specified how much weight it could actually be an unhealthy thing to do. 

Timed: No. There is no time limit or set completion date.

Now you will see how we can adapt that goal to make it SMART.

New goal: I want to lose 10kg of body fat in 12 weeks

Specific: Yes, this goal states that they want to lose body fat in a set time. They have specified how much weight and what type of weight it is they want to lose.

Measurable: Yes. There is a clear numerical value of 10 kg. If this person were to only achieve 9 kg it would still be impressive however they would not have achieved their goal.

Achievable: This goal is definitely achievable. As a personal trainer I would happily agree with a client that they should be able to lose 10 kg of body fat in 12 weeks if they put the work in.

Relevant: Without getting into personal details of each person every person can benefit from losing any excessive body fat as this can improve your health as well as conditions like diabetes.

Timed: Yes. They have set a clear time of 12 weeks. I would advise that if you say 12 weeks you figure out what the exact date is that the 12 weeks finishes on. Do you end your week on a Saturday or Sunday? Or is it starting from today and ending on the same day of the 12th week? Be specific!

This should help you see how you can change any goal into a SMART goal that is much more structured which makes it more achievable. You can then set dates and times to check in and know where you should be in your progress.

I hope this helps you move forward with your own goals. I’m a big believer in having goals as they have proven to help people take massive strides in developing their lives and character. Once you achieve your goal it doesn’t have to be the end. Once you have achieved your goal, celebrate your achievement and acknowledge all the work it took and the new person you have become. Then, it’s on to the next one.

If you want further help with setting goals or what you should do next once you have your goals check out the other articles or feel free to contact me either through my website or social media.

Good luck and find your true north.