Setting SMART Goals
The origins of SMART Goals are commonly attributed to Peter Drucker's Management by Objectives. They are a great way to set yourself up for success. SMART is an easily remembered acronym and also a brilliantly strategic goal-setting template to ensure you actually make the progress you want.
Why goal setting is important
You have likely read a lot about the importance of goal setting. It's an idea that the majority of people are familiar with. In fact, we're typically expected to do things like set goals and achieve them in the workplace.
But even high-achieving professionals can struggle with setting the right kind of goals that help set them up for success. When you set goals the wrong way, it's easy to end up overwhelmed, frustrated, and feeling like you can't succeed. But the truth is, if you find that you constantly struggle to achieve the goals you set, it's probably that you're not setting SMART goals.
How to set SMART Goals
There are different versions of SMART Goals where the letters correspond to different words. There isn't really a right or wrong. The beauty of this technique is that it allows you to tailor your goals to your own needs and preferred language.
These are the most common definitions for each letter. In the parentheses, I have included some additional suggestions to help tailor SMART Goals for yourself.
Specific (simple, sensible, significant)
Measurable (meaningful, motivating)
Achievable (agreed, attainable)
Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based)
Time-bound (time-based, time-limited, timely, time-sensitive)
When you choose the correlating word that resonates the most with you, it helps the SMART goal-setting approach to take on a more personal feel.
Now, let's take a minute to explore each portion of the goal setting process.
1. Specific
This is where you set yourself up for success or failure with the rest of the SMART goal setting process. If you aren't specific enough when establishing your goal, you won't be able to clearly complete the steps that follow.
Without clear parameters, you won’t know what exactly you’re trying to achieve. Start with asking yourself:
What is the goal?
Why does it matter?
What do you want to accomplish?
What action do you want to take?
2. Measurable
This is a common part of SMART goal setting that people skip or forget. If you want a goal that you are able to achieve, you need to have metrics attached to it. Without attaching metrics, you will have no way of identifying if you are making progress or when you have reached your goal.
But it goes one step further. You need to assess your starting point. Once you know where you are starting and where you are trying to get, you can establish milestones along the way to know you are making progress.
If you don’t know where you’re starting and you don’t know what benchmarks will show if you are progressing, you will end up doing a variety of activities to reach some ambiguous end result.
Ask yourself:
Where am I at on this goal today?
How will I know when the goal is accomplished in concrete, observable terms?
3. Achievable
Your goal should be both realistic and ambitious. This means it is likely to actually happen but still enough of a stretch that you need to put focused effort into it. If you’re not a little scared, you’re probably not dreaming big enough.
Another part of being achievable is that the actions and outcomes are within your control. If your personal goal is dependent on the actions of another person, the ability to reach that goal is outside of your control.
SMART goals can be set together as a group, such as in an office setting or relationship. But in order for it to work, all parties involved need to buy in and commit to the goal-setting process and each person should have their own SMART goals that relate to the larger goal.
For the remainder of this article, we're going to focus on individual goals. Consider the following:
Can I accomplish this goal?
How realistic is the goal, based on other limiting factors, such as money, time, and resources?
Can I actually control this outcome or is it dependent on others?
4. Relevant
This goal should both matter to you and connect to other goals that you have in your life. Many people struggle with setting goals they think they should set. This might be due to expectations placed on them by friends or family. Or, sometimes it is connected to what they think they should have accomplished by a certain stage of life.
But if the goal isn't something that is personally important to you, then you are not going to be motivated to stick with taking the necessary steps to achieve it. As you work to set SMART goals, ask yourself:
Is it worthwhile?
Does this match other needs in my life?
Am I doing this because of pressure from someone else?
5. Time-bound
This is another area where goal setting frequently goes wrong. When we don't attach a timeframe or deadline to our goals, it's not as likely that we will feel the urgency to take action.
All goals need a deadline to ensure urgency and accountability. Without firm deadlines, everyday tasks can take priority over bigger goals. But it is also important to make sure you are setting realistic goals. Setting a deadline to go back to school to earn an advanced degree within a year when you work full time and have a family might not be a realistic timeframe.
As you make your goals time-bound, consider the following:
When can I accomplish this?
How can I backwards plan from that date to set milestones to move me forward?
What can I accomplish today? In one week? In one month?
SMART Goal Examples:
Now that we have dissected each step of the SMART goal setting process, here are examples of what this looks like in real life.
Bad SMART Goal: “I want to become a runner.” (This goal is not defined.)
S: I want to be able to run. (This is not specific enough. Where are you running? How far are you running?)
M: I will work out. (This is not measurable unless you define these workouts. Are you working out once a week? How long will your workouts be? What type of workout will you do?)
A: I will be able to run a marathon next weekend. (This is not achievable if you are not already training or a regular marathoner. You may need to do research to see what is realistic.)
R: I should run because other people do it. (This is not relevant to you. When the training process gets harder you will likely lose motivation to push through because it's not important to you.)
T: I will look up races at some point. (This is not time-bound. You are unable to break down your training goals because you have no date you are working toward.)
Good SMART Goal: “I want to run a marathon.”
S: I want to be able to run 26.2 miles.
M: I can create a training plan with observable benchmarks to make sure I am on track.
A: I have at least 3 days per week to dedicate to training with a coach.
R: I want to run this marathon to get back into shape after some time away from running.
T: I will register for a specific marathon so that I know how to plan backward from that date.
Taking the first step
Do you know your goal-setting game could use some work? Have you given up on setting personal goals because you keep failing to achieve them? Are you ready to see real change in your life?
If you’re ready to crush your goals and need a partner to hold you accountable to yourself, reach out today to the New York City Psychotherapy Collective!
Follow the steps below to get started:
Click here to share some information about you so that we can match you with the perfect therapist for your needs.
Have a low-pressure, 20-minute call with your therapist to make sure they are the right fit.
Schedule your first session and start on your journey to feeling better right away.
We offer specialized services for related issues like Anxiety, Depression, LGBTQ Affirming Therapy, and Therapy Specifically for Young Adults. We can help you feel less overwhelmed, more relaxed, and more like the self you want to be.