If you’re an ambitious person or simply want to reach a specific goal, the SMART goal setting method will help you smash your goals out of the park.
Goal Setting
We all want to achieve things in life, or at least I sincerely hope you do. Having goals in life is like having a purpose, a direction, and will help you evolve as a human being.
I’ve had many goals in my life, some were successful, some not so much. One of my objectives was to go and live in the UK, and I made sure I did what I had to do to achieve that.
Among my big and small objectives, the ones that were reached are the one where the SMART methodology was applied. So I want to share it with you if you haven’t heard about it before. I use this method with my clients and it always helps them further than they otherwise would have done.
The SMART method is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely. Let’s go into closer detail.
Specific
When you set a goal for yourself, you have to be clear on what you want. If the goal is not specific enough, how will you know when you have reached it? Always ask yourself the question: what do I want?
If you want to be fitter for example: is it about your energy levels, your waistline, is it to be able to lift heavier at the gym, to play with your grandkids ? When you have a clear idea of what you want, it’s easier to go towards it.
Measurable
If you don’t have a way to track your progress, it will be difficult to know when you’re doing well and when you’re not on the right path. Tracking or measuring progress always helps motivate you or keep you in line. Find a way to make your goal measurable and that will allow you to cross things off or identify milestones.
For example, if you want to lose weight, do you want to measure that in kilos lost, or in clothes fit, or in fitness level?
Attainable
Before you embark on this goal setting journey, you need to know you can physically and mentally do it. Of course, I’m not saying get rid of all your limiting beliefs and think anything is possible if you set your mind to it. But you need to also be realistic so these two -attainable and realistic – work hand in hand for me.
Realistic
This is where some of my clients struggle. When they come to me to lose weight and want to lose 20kg in 3 months, this is not realistic to me. I teach them how to drop the diet mentality which is a deprivation phase. Of course the weight loss would be sudden. But when you take the time to really learn what nourishes you and how to love your body, it will slowly shed the weight it doesn’t need. So be realistic with your goals, know that they’re doable and that’s half the work done.
Timely
The last part of this SMART method for me is the most important or the easiest one. Set a time at which you want to have reached your goals. Give yourself a week, or three months, or a couple of years, depending on how big the objective is. Give yourself that time and respect it. Having a deadline increases your chances of reaching your goal by 75%.
Apply the SMART Method
Now that you have the method, you can apply it to all your goal setting. When I have a big aim, or want to take it seriously, I take a piece of paper and draw two columns with five rows. Add each letter or meaning into the first column, in each row, and then start writing what I want to do. How I can make my goal specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.
I suggest you do the same !
Have you got other methods to reach your goals? I would love to know in the comments.
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My 3 Daily Hacks for a More Productive Day
The Secrets to Build Healthy Habits
Managing Your Time, or How to Get More Time In Your Day
