A goal is a specific target you set yourself up to reach. This doesn’t have to be solely for work tasks or career-related. You can set all kinds of goals; personal, social, relationship, wealth, etc.. Saying “I want to be rich” is not really setting a goal. This is more like a wish. You can change a wish to a goal by giving it precision and meaning, and making a concrete plan to accomplish your goal. “I want to be rich” turns into something like “I am going [to come up with a plan] to earn $3 million within the next 2 years”. Stating the reason for your goal, the value of achieving it, or the satisfaction of the accomplishment is also important. Such a statement also comes with a certain strength that you can feel just by saying it out loud. You can also feel other emotions trying to make such statements on your own. Let’s explore some goal-setting techniques.

The ABCs of Goal Setting

The ABCs of goal setting provide a straightforward method to clarify and achieve your goals. This method focuses on three fundamental components:

A – Achievable: A goal must be realistic and attainable. Setting unrealistic and/or unattainable goals leads to frustration and disappointment. Ensure your goals are within your reach given your current resources and constraints.

Example: Instead of aiming to read 50 books in a month, start with a goal of reading one book per week.

B – Believable: You need to believe in your ability to achieve the goal. If you don’t believe it’s possible, you’re less likely to put in the effort required. Cultivating a positive mindset and self-confidence is crucial.

Example: If you’ve never run before, believing you can complete a marathon next month might be unrealistic. However, believing you can run 4 miles after two months of training is more feasible.

C – Committed: Commitment involves dedicating time, energy, and resources to achieving your goals. Without commitment, goals are merely wishes. Setting a goal should come with a plan of action and a willingness to see it through.

Example: If your goal is to learn a new language, commit to daily practice sessions, language classes, or using language-learning apps consistently.

SMART Goals

One of the most practical and successful goal-setting techniques is the SMART criteria, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This method helps individuals clearly define their goals and create a structured plan to achieve them. Here’s a detailed explanation of the SMART goal-setting technique:

Specific

A specific goal is clear and unambiguous. It answers the questions of who, what, where, when, and why. The more specific your goal, the easier it is to understand what needs to be done. “I want to get fit” is too vague for a goal statement. Instead, “I want to reduce my weight to 190 pounds by exercising at the gym three times a week and adopting a healthy diet” is clear and actionable. You can feel the difference when saying those two statements out loud. Clear statements make your goals appear more feasible.

Measurable

A measurable goal allows you to track your progress and know when you have achieved it. It includes criteria to measure progress and completion. As an example, let’s imagine a person named Taco, has a goal to save money. Taco’s goal statement is “I want to save money”. This means many things, $5 a month, $100 every 3 months, $10 a year, etc. Additionally, Taco needs to check either their records, bank account, or cash each time they want to know how much they have. Another aspect of it is that, when Taco doesn’t save any money for a year or two, they are in some way still meeting their goal if they saved money at least once. This is not ideal. If Taco states “I want to save $5,000 in the next 12 months by putting aside $100 from each paycheck and cutting down on unnecessary expenses”, that’d make their goal more clear and bound. This kind of statement carries an engagement and a tracking method. You should be able to track your progress. This helps you and motivates you. You can even use a streak system to track yourself. Without measure, it’s hard to add accountability.

Achievable

An achievable goal is realistic and attainable. It should stretch your abilities but still be possible to accomplish given your current resources and constraints. Setting a goal such as “I want to become a professional athlete within a year”, without any prior training is no less than wishing for miracles. Only a few may be able to achieve such goals. “I want to run a 10k marathon within six months by following a structured training plan” is a better-sounding plan. When setting your goals, don’t limit yourself and your abilities, but keep them in mind. That is, when you don’t have the skills or the resources, acquiring them should be part of the plan. Be realistic and set real goals.

Relevant

A relevant goal aligns with your broader objectives and life values. It should matter to you and fit within your other plans and priorities. Certainly, there are times when you have to do things you don’t necessarily like or enjoy along the way to a bigger goal. You usually have less motivation for that type of goal, but to get it over with and gain advancement or your bigger goal. However, setting a goal that doesn’t serve you in any way, shape, or form is more like a waste of time and energy.

Time-bound

A time-bound goal has a deadline or a specific timeframe. This creates a sense of urgency and encourages task prioritization. There is a good reason for companies to have a set date of completion for each task and project. Otherwise, people can just hang out at work and maybe type one word a day. The project is still going on. Without time limits, everything has the same priority, which can’t be realistic. A lot of things work in chain. A goal without a time limit doesn’t have much power.

A SMART goal combines all these elements to ensure it is well-defined and achievable.

Example of a SMART Goal: I want to lose 10 pounds in the next 3 months by going to the gym three times a week and following a healthy diet, so I can improve my overall health and energy levels.

Benefits of SMART Goals

• Clarity: Provides a clear direction and endpoint.
• Motivation: Helps maintain focus and motivation.
• Measurement: Allows you to track progress and make adjustments.
• Achievability: Ensures goals are realistic and attainable.
• Relevance: Keeps goals aligned with broader life objectives.
• Timeliness: Creates a sense of urgency and priority.

SMARTER Goals

SMARTER goals take the SMART criteria a step further by adding Evaluation and Readjustment to the process. This ensures continuous improvement and adaptation.

• Specific: Clear and unambiguous goals.
• Measurable: Quantifiable criteria to track progress.
• Achievable: Realistic and attainable goals.
• Relevant: Aligned with broader objectives and life values.
• Time-bound: Goals with a deadline or specific timeframe.

Evaluate

Regularly assess your progress and performance. Evaluation helps you understand what’s working, what’s not, and why. This step ensures you remain on track and make informed decisions about your effort. Set regular check-ins to evaluate your progress towards your goal. Are you meeting your fixed targets? Do you need to adjust or change methods? Treat yourself almost like a company. If you worked for a company, you might already be used to regular check-ins. Make your personal check-ins a positive view of yourself. This is better than setting a goal and then blaming and criticizing yourself for one thing or another a few months later.

Readjust

Adapting your goals based on your evaluations. Life is dynamic, and sometimes goals need tweaking. Readjustment ensures your goals remain relevant and achievable despite changing circumstances. For example, If you realize that your initial goal of losing 10 pounds in three months is too ambitious, readjust it to a more attainable target of 8 pounds. Be flexible and up-to-date.

Combining ABCs and SMARTER for Optimal Goal Setting

To maximize goal-setting effectiveness, combining the ABCs and SMARTER methods can be highly beneficial. Here’s how to integrate them:

1. Start with the ABCs: Set goals that are Achievable, Believable, and to which you are Committed.
2. Define SMARTER goals: Make them Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
3. Evaluate and Readjust: Regularly evaluate your progress and be open to readjusting your goals as needed.

Practical Example

Goal: Running a 10k Marathon

Achievable: Decide you want to run a 10k marathon within the next three months. This is achievable because it’s a reasonable distance for a beginner with proper training.

Believable: Believe that with consistent training and effort, you can complete the 10k marathon.

Committed: Commit to a training schedule of running three times a week and cross-training twice a week.

Now, apply SMARTER:

Specific: “I want to run a 10k marathon in three months.”

Measurable: Track progress by logging your runs, distance covered, and improvement in time.

Achievable: Ensure the goal is realistic given your current fitness level.

Relevant: Aligns with your broader objective of improving overall fitness and health.

Time-bound: Set a deadline of three months.

Evaluate: Check progress weekly. Are you keeping up with your training schedule? Are you improving your running times?

Readjust: If you experience setbacks (e.g., minor injuries or missed training days), adjust your plan accordingly to stay on track.

Enhance Goal-setting Success

While these techniques are highly effective, combining them with other techniques can enhance goal-setting success. These include:

Visualization: Mentally picturing the successful achievement of your goals can increase motivation and confidence. Some claim this can even increase your chances of achieving your goals (manifestation).

Accountability: Sharing your goals with friends, family, or a mentor can provide support and hold you accountable. It is also worth mentioning that, the fewer people who know about your ambitions and projects, the better. Don’t share with people who may go against your projects or bring negativity to them.

Action Plans: Breaking down larger goals into smaller, actionable steps can make them more manageable. Celebrate each small step to keep the motivation. This will make a large project seem small and reduce the likelihood of discouragement.

Review and Adjust: Regularly reviewing your progress and being open to adjusting your goals as needed ensures you stay on track. Flexibility is a great quality in humans and in projects. You need to make sure your current work doesn’t break your previous progress. When things change, adapting is better than shutting down or hurting yourself or another person in order to achieve something. Your goal has to be worth the journey for you to enjoy your accomplishment.

Conclusion

Goal setting is a dynamic process that benefits from structure and flexibility. The ABCs of goal setting ensure your goals are achievable, believable, and that you’re committed to them. The SMART goal-setting technique is a practical and effective method for setting and achieving goals. By making your goals specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, you increase your chances of success and ensure that your efforts are aligned with your broader objectives. The SMARTER method provides a detailed framework to make goals specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound, and incorporates continuous evaluation and readjustment. By integrating these approaches, you can set and achieve goals effectively, adapting to changes and maintaining focus on your long-term objectives. Then, in combination with other strategies like visualization, accountability, and regular review, you can further enhance your ability to achieve your aspirations in a healthy and meaningful manner.