Goal Setting the S.M.A.R.T. Way

July 1 is the beginning of the second half of the year. Meaning you only have six months left to meet your goals. If you haven’t started setting goals or don’t know where to start, we at SmallBox have you covered. We think developing S.M.A.R.T goals is a great way to set yourself up for success. We didn’t come up with this method, but we know it works and want to share it with you!

For Starters

The S in S.M.A.R.T stands for Specific 

• Specific means you should give a clear outline of the goal by avoiding vague language.
• Specific also answers the questions: who, what, when, where, and why of your goal.
• A Specific goal is: “I will read at least one book a month.”
• A not-so specific goal is: “I will read more books.”  

The M in S.M.A.R.T stands for Measurable

• Measuring your goals gives you clarity around the target you need to meet, and allows you to keep track of your progress while completing the goal.
• Giving yourself deadlines and time limits to complete goals helps you accomplish them with more precision and efficiency.
• A Measurable goal is: “I will make ten sales calls per week.”
• A not-so measurable goal is: “I will make more sales calls each week.” 

The A in S.M.A.R.T stands for Attainable

• Attainable means understanding what can and can’t be done in the time you’ve been given or given yourself.
• Maintaining expectations helps you keep things realistic and makes sure your goals are achievable.
• Makes goals challenging, but also possible.
• Each goal is relative to your environment and capabilities, and it’s essential to get some feedback around whether or not the Specific and Measurable goal you have set is also attainable. 

The R in S.M.A.R.T stands for Relevant 

• Set a goal that is relevant to YOU and YOUR life. 
• Ask yourself: “Why is this goal important to me?” Also, “Is this goal going to help me and my life in the future?”
• Relevant goals help us keep in mind what we want in life, and encourage us to set goals that line up with your values.

The T and final letter in S.M.A.R.T stands for TimeBound

• Being Time-Bound helps us set a date for reaching the finish line to our goals.
• The deadline gives us solid time frames to work within and force us to manage our time and work efficiently. 
• A Time Boung Goal is: “I will complete this by December 12, 2019,” is a specific Time-Bound goal.

Hopefully, this post motivates you to set your goals using the S.M.A.R.T method.

Best of luck in the second half of the year!