As we strive for success, setting goals is paramount. It’s something we reiterate again and
again at Kathy Merchant Coaching. While goal-setting is a simple concept, the techniques
behind fruitful goals are worth a deeper dive.
One of our techniques is the use of the acronym SMART. The idea was developed by George
Doran, Arthur Miller and James Cunningham in their 1981 article “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to
write management goals and objectives”. The article might be over four decades old, but the
ideas are as relevant as ever! Let’s take a closer look.
SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.
Every year, millions of people around the world declare a resolution for the new year. What are
these? Goals, of course! Unfortunately, the lack of specificity is often what derails the
resolution-makers. “Be more active” and “Be a better boss” are just too darn vague. Find a
specific aspect of your health, your relationships, or your business to laser-focus on. And those
specifics should be…measurable!
How many pounds do you want to lose this season? What do you want your company’s
turnover rate to be in the next fiscal year? How often (and how long) do you want to meditate
this month? How many pages of your book do you want to write this week? To be
measureable, something needs to be quantifiable; it needs to be count-able.
Any goal can be amended for specificity and measurability, regardless of the goal-setter. It’s
with the ‘A’ in SMART that we get personal. Your goals need to be achievable by YOU or your
team. We all have different skill sets. Every one of us can do something extraordinarily. The key
is to match your goals with your talents. Professional basketball is not for the 5’2” and Olympic
gymnastics is not for the 6’8”. That’s not say that goals should be easy. On the contrary, your
goals should be slightly out of your current reach. We grow by stretching our limits.
Remember specifics? Now, zoom way out to the big picture. That’s where relevance comes in.
When assessing relevance, keep asking ‘why’ and ‘how’. Why is this goal important? How
does it fit in to the larger scheme of my well-balanced life?
And finally, your goals should have an end-date. Perpetual growth in all areas of your life is
definitely important. But, having mile-markers along the way (goals!) is imperative to the
resilient and tenacious mindset of a successful life.
At Kathy Merchant Coaching, we help you clear the straight and SMART path to a successful
career and full-realized life through strategic goal setting. Setup your free consultation today.
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