You might be asking yourself...what is a SMART goal? What makes a SMART goal different from any other type of goal? Have I been doing things wrong my entire life? The answer to that question is no, you haven't been doing things wrong your entire life, but learning how to transform your ideas into SMART goals will certainly be a game-changer for you!
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound.
Let's break each of these letters down and explain what they mean.
Specific- Any goal that you make should be written in detail. For example, a regular goal might be to answer more emails. A specific goal would be to spend 2 hours a day (1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon) replying to emails.
Measurable- These types of goals give a number (such as an amount of times per day, number of hours, etc) so that you can easily track if you completed your goal. For example, a measurable goal would be to spend 1 hour per day reading your book.
Achievable- Goals are pointless if we set unrealistic and impossible expectations for ourselves. Ambition is a great trait to have, but making sure goals are achievable is key to accomplishing the things we set out for ourselves. An example of an achievable goal would be to spend 10 minutes a day learning a new language. For the average person who attends school or has a full time job, an unachievable goal would be to spend 5 hours a day learning a new language.
Relevant- The goals that we set should always be things that matter within our greatest responsibilities. For example, setting a goal about how to tackle a presentation or creating a solid daily routine are very relevant goals that will have a strong impact on our success. Dedicating your time to projects that are months or years away when other more time sensitive tasks are pending is not the best idea (although it can be fun to daydream sometimes)!
Time Bound- Goals should always have a start and an end date. This allows us to create a proper structure to complete tasks within the allocated time frame. An example of a time bound goal would be to write 5 pages of your paper by next Wednesday.
Now that you understand what each of the components of a SMART Goal are, here is a completed example of one:
My SMART goal is to spend 1 hour per day creating reels and Tik Tok videos for my social media accounts. I will work on this goal on Mondays through Fridays for the next three months. This is a relevant goal for me because I need to grow my social media presence in order to grow in my career and connect with others in my field. This is also achievable for me because I have blocked out 1 hour each day to do this without neglecting my other responsibilities.
Now that I've shown you how to create SMART goals, it's your turn to write some for yourself. Be sure to comment them below if you want some feedback from me!
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