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 SMART means Specific,
Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive.
I really like this acronym SMART, because we want to be smart when we set
our goals. We want to intelligently decide what our goals will be so that
we can actually accomplish them. We want to set the goals that our heart
conceives, that our mind believes and that our bodies will carry out.
Let's take a closer look at each of the components of SMART goals:
Specific: Goals are no place to waffle. They are no place to be vague.
Ambiguous goals produce ambiguous results. Incomplete goals produce
incomplete futures.
When we are specific, we harness the power of our dreams and set forces
into action that empower us to achieve our goals. We then know exactly
what it is we are shooting for. There is no question. As we establish our
priorities and manage our time, we do so for a specific goal to achieve
the results we expect. There is no wondering or guessing. The future is
locked into our minds and we see it - specifically - and that is powerful!
Never underestimate just how important it is to have very specific,
concrete goals. They act as magnets that draw you toward them! A SMART
goal is specific.
Measurable: Always set goals that are measurable. I would say
"specifically measurable" to take into account our principle of being
specific as well. Our goals should be such that we know when we are
advancing and by how much. Whether it is by hours, pounds, dollars or
whatever, we should be able to see exactly how we are measuring up as we
proceed through the journey of life using our goals. Could you imagine if
you didn't measure your goals? You would never know which way you were
going or even if you were going anywhere! A SMART goal is measurable.
Attainable: One of the detrimental things that many people do - and they
do it with good intentions - is to set goals that are so high they are
unattainable. Yes, it is very important to set big goals that cause your
heart to soar with excitement, but it is also imperative to make sure that
they are attainable. In the next section we talk about being realistic. So
what does it mean to be attainable? An attainable goal is one that is both
realistic but also attainable in a shorter period of time than what you
have to work with. Now when I say attainable, I don't mean easy. Our goals
should be set so they are just out of our reach; so they will challenge us
to grow as we reach forward to achieve them. After the next paragraph, I
will give you an example of a goal that is both attainable and realistic.
A SMART goal is attainable.
Realistic: The root word of realistic is "real." A goal has to be
something that we can reasonably make "real" or a "reality" in our lives.
There are some goals that simply are not realistic. You have to be able to
say, even if it is a tremendously stretching goal, that yes, indeed, it is
entirely realistic -- that you could make it. You may even have to say
that it will take x, y, and z to do it, but if those happen, then it can
be done. This is in no way to say it shouldn't be a big goal, but it must
be realistic. This is to a great degree, up to the individual. For one
person a goal may be realistic, but for another unrealistic. I would
encourage you to be very honest with yourself as you do your planning and
evaluation. Perhaps it would be good to get a friend to help you (as long
as that friend is by nature an optimist and not a pessimist). This can go
a long way toward helping you know what is realistic. A SMART goal is
realistic.
Example of Attainable and Realistic: Knowing that perhaps you could use a
bit of help differentiating attainable and realistic, here is an example:
You are overweight and have 150 pounds to lose to get to your proper
weight. Is that goal attainable? Yes, considering that you also make it
realistic. For example, it isn't realistic to think you can do it in 5
months. 18-24 months would be realistic (with hard work). Thus, losing 150
pounds in 2 years is both attainable and realistic, while losing 150
pounds in 5 months is neither attainable nor realistic.
Time: Every goal should have a timeframe attached to it. I think that life
itself is much more productive for us as humans because there is a
timeframe connected to it. Could you imagine how much procrastination
there would be on earth if people never died? We would never get "around
to it." We could always put it off. One of the powerful aspects of a great
goal is that it has an end, a time in which you are shooting to accomplish
it. You start working on it because you know there is an end. As time goes
by you work because you don't want to get behind. As it approaches, you
work diligently because you want to meet the deadline. You may even have
to break down a big goal into different measured parts time frames. That
is okay. Set smaller goals and work them out in their own time. A SMART
goal has a timeline.
Be sure to spend some reflection time this week to make sure your goals
fit the SMART parameters. Go through the reflection questions below and
the action points associated with them. Doing so will put a real engine in
your goals and make them charged with power to help you accomplish your
dreams.
Jim Rohn is one of the world's great philosophers and is a featured
teacher in the Goals 2008 Personal Goal Setting
Program.
Copyright 2001 Jim
Rohn International. All rights reserved worldwide. |
