On average, a project takes approximately 5 to 10 years of hard work before it becomes incredibly successful. And yet, most give up before they see the results of their effort. Often, the struggle to stay motivated and see a project through to completion comes from the deep disappointment of not achieving personal or business goals within a timeline as expected.
To better manage those expectations and timelines, a well-thought-out plan is needed to achieve a personal or professional objective.
Set realistic goals that follow the SMART criteria to improve the odds of achieving those goals.
The SMART framework is so versatile that it can be adapted to almost any situation commonly applied in various fields, including personal and professional use. That is why the SMART plan has remained the go-to strategy for planning short-term and long-term goals because of its multi-purpose.
A study conducted by Psychology professor Dr Gail Matthews found that more than 70 per cent of the participants who sent weekly updates to a friend reported successful goal achievement (completely accomplished their goal or were more than halfway there), compared to 35 per cent of those who kept their goals to themselves, without writing them down.
I’d highly recommend writing your goals down and finding an accountability partner to keep you on track when setting goals that follow the SMART technique.
Now, let’s look into why SMART plans are useful!
A SMART plan should be
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
A complete SMART goal incorporates all 5 essential elements listed above. Each element plays an important role in breaking down long-term objectives into manageable, actionable steps.
Let’s dive deeper into each of them.
SPECIFIC: Are your goals and plans clear enough?
Goals and plans should be clear and well-defined.
Vague targets can lead to confusion and lack of direction. Instead of saying, “I want to increase my income,” a specific goal would be, “I want to increase my income by providing a service of X, with a target increase of 20% by the next two months.”
To ensure it’s specific enough, it should follow the 5W1H approach. The 5W1H is a problem-solving approach that answers 6 key questions (What, Why, When, Where, Who, and How) and defines it clearly.
Ponder upon these questions:
- What is the goal?
- Why am I doing this — is this a good enough approach?
- When will I start and achieve the goal? (Remember to set small milestones to celebrate)
- Where will this take place?
- Who is responsible for this goal?
- How will you achieve the goal?
Generally, these 6 questions sum up the concept of a SMART framework.
When you can answer the 5W1H comprehensively, your goal is specific enough.
MEASURABLE: How can you keep track of impact and progress?
While setting clear goals is essential, it’s just as vital to have metrics that track your efforts and successes.
These metrics, whether qualitative or quantitative, should be fair in measuring successes and failures while attributing them to the efforts taken to achieve the specific goals we had set earlier.
This way, it helps you gauge your progress towards achieving your goals. It also reveals which efforts are effective for you and identifies areas to improve, making informed prioritization efforts.
ATTAINABLE: Are your goals realistic and achievable?
Goals should make you uncomfortable and push you to your limits to be a better person. That’s how you know you’re growing.
However, when they are impossible to achieve, they will remain as goals until they are possible. Unrealistic goals often lead to frustration and burnout.
Remember, while a goal must be challenging, it should also be achievable.
Achievable goals help maintain focus and clarity in your actions, preventing distractions and enhancing productivity.
RELEVANCY: Are your goals in sync with what matters most to you?
Take a moment to see if your plans realistically fit into your life right now.
Consider factors such as your available time, skills, and budget.
If they don’t seem to be aligned with your priorities and objectives, identify and look for additional resources or support that you might need to help make them possible.
Common mistakes to watch out for:
- Mistake #1: Setting goals and plans that are way too vague and do not answer the minimum 5W1H.
- Mistake #2: Fostering a tendency to set unrealistic expectations.
- Mistake #3: Being too rigid when life throws curveballs your way.
- Mistake #4: Not monitoring your progress and milestone achievements.
On top of that, you could also ask yourself if your initiatives and efforts are relevant to helping you achieve your end goal.
Could you reach your objectives after completing your plan? If not, re-work your plan until it becomes relevant to achieve your target.
TIME: What is a realistic timeline for completing your plan?
Every goal needs a deadline. Setting a timeframe creates urgency and helps prioritize tasks.
Plan out a timeline that considers your daily routine and factor in possible anomalies that may arise.
Here are some tips for creating a realistic timeline:
- Break your plan into smaller, bite-size tasks that will not appear daunting.
- Estimate how much time each task will take.
- Be flexible and adapt according to the situation when things turn for better or worse.
- Check your progress regularly for improvement areas and monitor if you’re on track with the set timeline. If you’re not on track, you may want to pick the pace up or change the final timeline.
It’s important to plan the timeframe realistically to reduce common setbacks that can be avoided.
Now that we’ve discussed the SMART framework, did you know that while it is the standard, some people tend to use the “SMARTER” version instead — adding “Evaluate” and “Revise” to the criteria?
The “Evaluate” encourages consistent monitoring of your plan to observe what initiatives are working and what aren’t. If any changes are needed, the “Revise” will add suggestions to improve your plan, ensuring maximum results from optimal efforts.
Make sure your plans fit into your life using the SMART-ER framework and set yourself up for success.
They’re meant to help you consistently progress toward achieving your end target in a realistic and achievable manner using clear, actionable, and achievable plans while keeping you focused.
For additional resources to support your SMART implementation, read more about the article on integrating micro-habits into your daily routine. It explains how breaking down tasks and habits into smaller, manageable steps can make them less daunting to begin and become more achievable.
