Why SMART Goals Are Needed To Achieve Success

Goal setting – does it really help you to achieve more? Yes, and your action is motivational when you do more than just think about what you want to achieve.

You can take three actions to change your goal from an idea to a tangible commitment.

For example, telling other people about your goals makes them more real, and you now have a more profound need or sense of commitment to achieve them.

Not following through with your goal after telling people it may be uncomfortable and humiliating.

When you’re asked how did you get on with your goal? You want to say – it’s done!

Also, writing the goals down is another way to further deepen your commitment to yourself and your future.

Visualizing a goal’s successful completion is also a powerful way to keep you focused on the outcome you want. The saying – start with the end in sight comes from this. High performers always see themselves crossing the finish line first!

3 Key Steps

Take these three steps for every goal:

• Tell people your goal
• Commit it to text or print
• Spend some time visualizing your victory, i.e., goal completion

Milestones

Another tip to keep you on track to progress your goals is to provide progress reports or updates as you reach milestones.

Also, use percentages to let your people know how far you’ve come.

For example, your first update may be that you’re done with 25% and have 75% left to complete the objective.

Turning an idea into a goal takes discipline, and there’s still more to do before you start working on the tasks to achieve it.

Mindset

Getting yourself into the right mindset for goal achievement is vital. The three steps mentioned so far are necessary so your mind is focused and primed for a positive outcome for the future.

However, there is still more to do before you know your goals are worth your time and investment.

There will be many challenges to deal with as you work on the tasks to reach the target, and you can be forewarned of many of them beforehand when you use the SMART goal methodology.

SMART Goals

What are SMART goals? SMART is an acronym that’s really easy to remember.

• S = Specific
• M = Measurable
• A = Achievable
• R = Relevant
• T = Time-bound

Specific

Being specific gives finality to your idea. You’ve worked your vision from being open-based and left to interpretation to a closed, exact, and accurate one.

Life is not a dress rehersal

Today, we use life is not a rehearsal to explain the reality of life and death – that every second spent is a second less you’ve got to live. Therefore, don’t waste time with non-specific goals.

An example of a non-specific goal is to be a manager. A manager of what exactly?

Here is the same specific goal: I want to be a production manager in my current industry, ideally with my current employer.

Measurable

Indeed.com is using a similar example, i.e., become a manager; however, their example uses the goal of becoming a manager of developers for a Tech Startup, so it is specific to an industry (technology) and business type (a startup).

Making your goal measurable requires knowing you’re making progress. What do you need to prove you’re on the right path?

You must complete job applications and interviews to get a job with another company, like a tech startup. Both are metrics you can use to gauge your progress.

A measurable goal to get a manager role with a Tech startup may be: I will fill in applications for at least five manager roles with tech startups. The number you choose is also essential – don’t just pluck it out of thin air.

Do your research to ascertain what action is required to reach your goal.

For example, if there is little demand for managers of tech startups and a lot of interest from job hunters, you’ll need to apply for more roles to improve your success rate by getting interviews.

Achievable

Your goal may be too far-reaching for now, and with more consideration, you realize you’ve got to achieve other goals before this one.

For example, suppose you’ve no managerial experience or specific qualifications like an MBA or industry-specific qualification. In that case, the purpose of being a manager in a particular industry may not be where your focus should be.

Setting goals to acquire qualifications and supervisory or managerial experience in a specific industry will take time, but the goals are achievable and realistic. Remember, you don’t want to waste your time or investment, so it’s vital to set goals that you will achieve so you’re motivated to keep going on the path you’ve set for your career.

Relevant

Make sure the tasks undertaken are relevant to completing your objective.

For example, applying for all managerial roles listed by tech firms is not the same as applying for a managerial position in software development.

How would applying for a role managing customer support with a tech firm assist your goal of managing developers in a tech startup?

Time-bound

Every goal must have an end date to keep you interested in it. Plus, your tasks to reach milestones also need to be time-bound.

What will I do this week, next week, and so on? Putting a date on it makes it a commitment. Tell your people what you will do and when you’ll do it.

For example, I will be in my managerial role with a tech startup within 12 months. This week, I will commence the job search and complete two applications.

Final Thoughts

There is a lot more to goal setting and success. For example, for further reading, this article delves into the benefits and positive reasons for goal-setting on the mind and creating new habits.

The final tip is to use the KISS principle (keep it simple, stupid) to get your goal-setting working for you. Overcomplicate what you need to do, and you’ll lose interest and motivation. Remember, you’re in control every step of the way!