SMART GOALS

Smart goals are the ones that work. Here, you will find out what they are and how to use them.

A goal may be small or big; short term, medium term or long term. Whatever it is, it has to be a SMART goal in order to succeed. Here, SMART is an acronym, with each letter having a specific or multiple meanings.

S - specific, significant, stretching

M - measurable, meaningful, motivational

A - achievable, acceptable, action-oriented

R - realistic, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented

T - time-based, tangible, trackable

DEFINING SMART GOALS

• Specific, Significant, Stretching

Vague goals don’t work as the subconscious doesn’t seem to understand them. Instead of saying, “I will be slim and fit in the next three years”, set the goal as “I am losing 1 kg (or 2 pounds) of weight effortlessly every month till I reach ____ kg.”

Goals should be significant. Puny or small goals will not motivate you. They should be such that they will bring about significant change in your life.

Your goals must stretch you. They should not be easily achievable. If your goal is to lose only 250 g every month, which is achieved easily, that won’t affect your life much.




• Measurable, Meaningful, Motivational

When you say “I am losing 1 kg of weight effortlessly every month till I reach ____ kg,” it is abundantly clear that your goal can be measured and is meaningful. When you say “I will be slim and fit in the next three years,” the goal is not exactly measurable though it may be meaningful. Also the fact that you have lost 1 kg or more weight in one month is itself very motivating and keeps you going till you reach your final goal.




• Achievable, Acceptable, Action-oriented

If a goal is huge and difficult to achieve, then it becomes demotivating. It has to be achievable as well as acceptable. Acceptable in the sense that it is legally, ethically and morally acceptable. It should make you take action.




• Realistic, Reasonable, Rewarding, Results-oriented

Unrealistic goals lead to failure. The goal of losing one or two kg a month is ok. But trying to lose 10 kg a month is not just unrealistic, but also leads to frustration because it proves to be elusive.

It is unreasonable and unrewarding. Unreasonable because it is almost impossible and unrewarding because it leads to frustration. It is also not result-oriented because this kind of result is not achievable.




• Time-based, Tangible, Trackable

Smart goals are time based, i.e. they have a time limit for completion. Without time limit, a goal is just a dream. Also, they are tangible, not abstract. A goal like “I will become slim and fit” is intangible. And then the goal should be trackable. A goal like “losing one kilo of weight per month” can be easily kept track of, while “I will become slim and fit” is intrackable.

So see that you don’t just make goals, but make smart goals because they are the ones that fructify.

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