Bottom Line up Front (BLUF)
Good day h4ppyLife people! This post is about setting goals using the SMART format.
Background
I first learned of SMART goals while in the Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy. This was a while before I had ever seen it talked about in the civilian world, however it’s everywhere now and with good reason. It’s a powerful tool to help define and then follow through to achieve your goals.
Let’s envision for a moment a goal that you want to achieve or have wanted to achieve…
…Form a picture in your mind…
…Really feel it, see it, touch it, taste it …
Now imagine that it’s successfully accomplished…
How does it make you feel?
You feel great! You feel empowered and like you could conquer anything.
Now imagine this same goal, however you fall short.
You might feel defeated or like less of a person. You might feel self destructive (like eating a gallon of ice cream).
Because, why not?
I never reach my goals anyway! (A little voice in your head says)
This is a horrible place to be in and is not living the h4ppyLife!
Remember one of our mantras…change your thoughts, change your life.
Using the SMART process to define your goals will make you highly effective at achieving them and you will feel great and empowered which will in turn make you feel happier!
So What?
The acronym SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Actionable (or Achievable), Realistic (or Relevant), and Timely. You may see variations on this, but they are all essentially the same.
Specific
The “S” stands for specific.
When setting goals, you need to be specific about what you want to achieve.
You might start with, I want to get fit.
Measurable
The “M” stands for measurable.
You have to set some type of measurement to goals.
For example, it is not effective to simply state I want to get fit. You need to define what that means, specifically, along with performance measurements to track progress.
So, you might create the goal… I will get fit by completing 10 pushups, 30 sit-ups, and a 1.5 mile run at least 3 times per week.
Actionable (or Achievable)
The “A” stands for actionable.
In our above fitness example, are the S and M actionable or achievable?
Yes, for many people I think so. But not ALL, right!?
Some of you may have never ran anywhere in your life. If that’s the case, then that goal may be unrealistic or unachievable for you at this time.
It’s very challenging to start running from scratch! So don’t be afraid to start small.
YOUR specific and YOUR measurable will be different from mine as we are different people at different stages in life and physical fitness levels.
Realistic (or Relevant)
The “R” stands for realistic.
It’s been proven that if your goals are not realistic, you are not likely to achieve them.
If you are in the beginning stages of the goal of getting fit, it’s likely unrealistic to set a measure of bench-pressing 200 pounds on day one! Lay out a plan to work up to the 200 lb bench and take incremental steps to get there.
While it’s important to stretch yourself, it’s equally, if not more important, to not take on more than you can handle.
I’m sure we’ve all experienced the new years resolution that was unattainable and then we failed to follow through!
Likely because the goal was not SMART.
Timely (or Time Based)
The “T” stands for timely, timed, or time based.
An effective goal will have some sort of time requirement established.
For example, we stated in the measurable step that we would perform 10 pushups, 30 sit-ups, and a 1.5 mile run 3 times per week.
The 3 times per week fulfills the requirement for this step, however we may also want to extend that to “for at least 1 month” and then I’ll reassess my SMART goal.
Summary
You should be able to see the connections between each element of the SMART goal now. The elements work together as one cohesive plan or strategy to make your goal setting more effective.
Here’s the goal we created above.
I will get fit by completing 10 pushups, 30 sit-ups, and a 1.5 mile run at least 3 times per week for at least 1 month. Then I’ll reassess my SMART goal and adjust based upon any fitness gains.
Does it follow the SMART format?
SMART:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Actionable
- Realistic
- Timely