Achieving More with SMART Goals: Strategies for Success

SMART goals is a method that is used for setting goals in a structured, well-defined, and actionable way.

Updated: April 10, 2024


SMART goals: 


SMART or S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound and is used to establish criteria for effective goal-setting and objective development.

You can set meaningful goals and track your progress toward completing them with the SMART goal framework. SMART goals is a method that is used for setting goals in a structured, well-defined, and actionable way.

  • Specific means what exactly that you are trying to achieve so that a particular area will be targeted for improvement
  • Measurable means quantifying, or at least suggesting, an indicator of progress. This will be the things which will change to tell you that you have achieved the goal.
  • Attainable means is it a reasonable, achievable goal, or is it too much to pull off?
  • Relevant means how does it tie into the 'bigger picture' of what you are trying to accomplish, whether it is business or life goals?
  • Time-bound means what day or time will you achieve the goal?

Defining these parameters as they are related to your goal helps ensure that your objectives are attainable within a certain time frame. Generalities and guesswork are eliminated by this approach as you can set a clear timeline, and make it easier to track progress and identify missed milestones.

How to write SMART goals?


The fundamentals are break down based on each of the five elements as you set your SMART objectives.

Specific:

It needs to be specific in order for a goal to be effective. Questions like what needs to be accomplished?, who is responsible for it?, and what steps need to be taken to achieve it? should be answered for a specific goal. These questions helps you to get what you are aiming for.

Measurable:

Quantifying your goals which is, making sure they are measurable makes it easier to track progress and know when you have accomplished it.

Achievable:

A serious reality check is given at this point. You need to ask yourself if your objective something that your team can reasonably accomplish? Safeguarding the achievability of your goal is much easier when you set it. However, make sure to communicate any restraints you may be working under when goals are handed down from elsewhere. At least you can make your position and any potential roadblocks known up-front even if you can't shift the end goal.

Relevant:

You need to think about why are you setting the goal that you are setting?

Time-bound:

You and your team need to be on the same page about when a goal has been reached to properly measure success. You need to know what’s your time horizon? When will the team start creating and implementing the tasks they have identified? When will they finish?

SMART goals should have built in time-related parameters, so that everybody knows how to stay on track within a time frame.

Examples of SMART goals:


Some of the examples of SMART goals that showcase how you can create powerful personal, business, work, and leadership goals include:

SMART goal for getting fit:

Suppose you are going to follow the Nike app training program to run a marathon without stopping, six months from now.

Here the interpretation would be:

  • Specific: You are going to start running daily and train for a marathon.
  • Measurable: You will follow the Nike app training program to run a full marathon without stopping.
  • Achievable: You have done some running before, and your body is reasonably healthy, and the marathon is six months from now.
  • Relevant: You want to become a fit, healthy, and strong person.
  • Time-bound: You have signed up for a marathon six months from now.

SMART goal for completing a personal project:

Suppose you are going to write a 60,000-word novel in six months which will be finished on June 30.  This will be done by writing 2,500 words per week.

Here the interpretation would be:

  • Specific: You are going to write a 60,000-word novel.
  • Measurable: You will finish writing 60,000 words in six months.
  • Achievable: You will write 2,500 words per week.
  • Relevant: You have always dreamed of becoming a professional writer.
  • Time-bound: You will start writing tomorrow, that is 1st January, and finish June 30.

SMART goal for improving relationships:

Suppose you are going to call your Mom and your sisters twice per week for three months to develop my relationships with them.

Here the interpretation would be:

  • Specific: You will develop my relationships with Mom and your sisters.
  • Measurable: You will call each of them twice per week.
  • Achievable: You talk to these people regularly as it is always nice to talk more.
  • Relevant: You want to strengthen your social ties, feel more loved and supported in your life, and support those you love.
  • Time-bound: You will stick to this plan for three months, then re-evaluate and plan your next steps.

SMART goals for starting a business:

Suppose you are going to start a dropshipping business online on Saturday and will spend one hour on this business each day to land your first sale within two weeks.

Here the interpretation would be:

  • Specific: You will start a dropshipping business.
  • Measurable: You will work on your business for one hour each day, and the goal is to land your first sale within 2 weeks.
  • Achievable: You have watched some videos on dropshipping and now you are confident enough to start a business quickly.
  • Relevant: You want to quit your job, work from home, and be your own boss.
  • Time-bound: You will begin on Saturday and land your first sale within two weeks.

SMART goals for marketing a business:

Suppose you are going to start a Facebook Ads course tomorrow and start investing 30% of your business profits into paid campaigns within one week. You will continue to learn and invest in Facebook Ads to double your sales within three months.

Here the interpretation would be:

  • Specific: You are going to learn how to use Facebook Ads and invest 30% of your profits into this marketing channel.
  • Measurable: The goal is to double your sales within three months.
  • Achievable: You have a reasonably successful small business that is ready to handle a growth in sales.
  • Relevant: You want to make six-figures per year working from home.
  • Time-bound: You will start a Facebook Ads course tomorrow and start running paid campaigns within one week. Then, You will continue to learn and scale-up, and evaluate your results in three months.