SMART Goals is an easy way to remember the steps to setting goals.
'S' stands for 'Specific'
'M' stands for 'Measurable'
'A' stands for 'Achievable'
'R' stands for 'Relevant'
'T' stands for 'Time Bounded'
These are the components that make up a SMART Goal.
Specific
Your goals must be clear enough so that a 7 year old child will know exactly what you want.
By answering the following questions you will have more clarity as to what you really want to accomplish and why.
What is it that I want to accomplish?
What do I want to be, do and/or have once I have accomplished my goal.
Why do I want to accomplish this goal?
Or a better question would be:
What is the motivating factor behind wanting to achieve my goal?
(Be specific and it must be personal. It is a lot harder to motivate yourself if you are trying to accomplish somebody else's goal, unless it becomes your goal too.)
Who needs to help me in pursuit of my goal?
Write down the people, groups, companies, organizations, etc. you need to allign yourself with in order to achieve your goal.
Measurable
All goals should be measurable.
For example, if you want to lose weight, you should know how many pounds you need to lose in order to reach your goal, and how much you want to weigh.
If you want to take it to the next level, you would know exactly how much body fat (BF) you want to lose and how many pounds of lean body mass (LBM) you want to gain.
Achievable
In order for you to feel your goal is achievable, you must have a 50% chance of reaching it.
If you are new to goal setting, you may want to start with a goal that is at least 70% achievable, and then increase the difficulty level from there.
If you have been achieving goals for a while you may want to take on a goal that has only a 30% chance of success.
The bottom line is that if you, in your heart, feel that you can achieve it (through focus, hard work and discipline) then you increase your chance of being victorious.
Relevant
Your goals should be relevant to you. You can't enthusiastically achieve somebody else's goal. But you can enthusiastically achieve a goal that inspires you and motivates you in to action.
When you think about relevance, think about your motive for achieving the goal. Be like a lawyer and grill yourself to see if there is a motive for achieving what you think you want.
If you can't come up with a good enough reason to achieve your goal, then find a new one that motivates you in to action.
Time Bounded
Your goal should have a time for completion. If your goal is to lose weight and you haven't given it a deadline for completion, then it is merely a wish.
On the other hand, if you say by December 31 of this year, I will lose 10 pounds of body fat and gain 5 pounds of lean body mass. Now you have a clear time line for your goal.
I hope this SMART Goal Method helps you in achieving all of your life's dreams.
Remember, it is Smart to use SMART Goals.