You’ve probably heard and may have been using the SMART Goal Setting Method.
The “SMART Goals” was first coined by George T. Doran, a consultant and former director of planning at the Washington Water Power Company, in his 1981 paper “There’s a SMART Way to Write Managements’ Goals and Objectives.”
The smart goal acronym stands for
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-Bound
The Smart Goals framework has been used by institutions of higher learning, government agencies, businesses, individuals etc.
Its use is effective and has seen many people and organizations achieve their goals.
But why does it seem not to work for you?
In this article, I will discuss with you the 4 reasons why it fails you and how you can go ahead to use it in the right manner to achieve your goals.
1. Lack of a clear purpose
Goals – an objective or target that someone is trying to reach or achieve – inspire us and help us keep focused on a key result, or what we really want out of life.
They however may be a source of frustration no matter the method you use to set them if you lack clarity of your life purpose. Every goal that you set, if it is not based on finding your purpose and manifesting it will lack meaning even if you accomplish it.
The goals that you set should focus on achieving a higher goal, a higher purpose. A lack of clarity about your higher goal is enough to make you frustrated by whichever goal-setting method you may use to set your goals. This is because they will lack a foundation upon which they are built.
If your focus is only on achieving short-term goals, you will never find your true passion and be able to build a meaningful life. You will only feel a fleeting sense of accomplishment and will soon be seeking something more if at all you will be able to achieve the goals you set.
Before you begin setting goals, you must ask yourself: Is this goal related to my purpose? Is it going to make me feel fulfilled when I achieve it? You can use a tool like The Higher Life Activator to help you gain clarity of your purpose and lay the best foundation for your goals.
2. Fear of failure
Regardless of the clarity of your purpose, the goals you set will frustrate you if you have the fear of failure. Setting goals isn’t enough if you are never going to begin working towards achieving them.
Are the goals you have set too big to the extent they are making you afraid to take a step? Break them into many small achievable steps that you will feel comfortable achieving at first. That first small step that seems unimportant is all you need to get started. Momentum will be built up when you take the 2nd, the 3rd the 4th, and so on.
Before you even realize it, the goal will be half achieved. And guess what, you will have achieved so many successes in your small steps. Climbing the whole mountain of goal won’t become a problem for you anymore.
3. Laziness
“No! No! No! How dare you accuse me of laziness?!”
We always think laziness is lying on the sofa watching movies and eating popcorn all day long. Well, that is a form of laziness of course. But there is a form of laziness that has affected many people and that is called laziness by staying busy.
This form of laziness is manifested when you intentionally make yourself busy but deep down you know you are avoiding something important.
How many times have you ever avoided doing something important that you knew you were supposed to do and got yourself engaged with other things which weren’t much important?
So now you are a victim?
This is the worst form of laziness you should always be on the lookout for.
A well-set goal with a bit of laziness by staying busy is a guarantee of failure.
4. Biting more than you can chew
Oftentimes, people fail to achieve their goals because they set way too big goals or way too many goals. When you are setting goals, you need to understand that you aren’t setting them to impress others. You are setting to achieve them. To grow.
You should also remember that you aren’t setting goals just because others are doing it. No! That is a means to failure. Set goals that you are sure you can be able to handle at any given time to avoid the chances of failure.
5. The goal never get past the head
If the goals you set are only logical and never get past your head to your heart, you are on your way to failure. Goals that don’t elicit emotions within you will never find the energy to take off.
You know, emotions are the force that creates movement and action. If you are going to achieve your goals, you have to make sure that your goals are producing enough emotions to make you move forth.
At times emotions such as happiness, joy, and fulfillment are all you need to associate with your goals. Other times, negative emotions will do best to help begin working on your goals.
6. The goal isn’t smart anyway
If your goal isn’t smart anyway, achieving them would still be far.
Your goals need to be:
Specific: An effective goal should be ultra-specific and leave no room for misinterpretation or vagueness.
Measurable: Your goal should be quantifiable and the progress easy to track, so you know when you hit a benchmark or the finish line.
Achievable: Where the rubber meets the road. Is your personal goal attainable? You must be realistic and determine if your specific goal is truly achievable, or an unrealistic ask.
Relevant: Big picture time. Does the goal you’re setting contribute to your bigger overarching goals? Ensure you’re setting goals that contribute to what you want in life.
Time-bound: SMART objective goals should have defined start and end times, and, if large enough, should also have incremental dates to meet specific objectives.
Here is an example of how to set your goals
Simple goal
I want to get fit again.
SMART Goal Components:
- Specific: I’m going to work out every day to decrease my body fat percentage and finally be able to run a marathon.
- Measurable: I hired a personal trainer who will set goals and hold me accountable until I am below 10% body fat and can run a full cross-country marathon.
- Achievable: I’ve been in shape before, and I can do this with an experienced personal trainer helping me.
- Relevant: Lately, my unhealthy lifestyle has caught up to me in the form of fatigue, injuries, and health issues.
- Time-bound: I’ve signed up for the Cross Country Marathon eight months from today.
Complete SMART Goal:
Next week, I’ll begin working out every day with a personal trainer and we will continually track my fitness goals. I’ll be under 10% body fat and ready to run the Cross Country Marathon within eight months.