HOW TO SET SMART GOALS

 

Humans have a natural inclination towards setting goals no matter how small, from as little as wanting to pass a test to something as large as being the president. It is what gives you purpose because a life without something to aspire is a life devoid of meaning and as such we need to know how we can set goals but not just any goals but SMART goals.

 Setting smart goals involves creating a formula to get your desired result in the most efficient while saving time and money. There are 5 major keys in setting goals. Which will include the following:

Specific

The goal you want to achieve should be very specific and unambiguous if not you would be unfocused and lacking motivation when drafting your goal, there are 5 W's to consider when setting your goals;

What do you want to accomplish?

Why is this important?

Who?

Where?

Which resources are involved?

Measurable

This means that you would state exactly what the end result would be and easily track it. Your goal should be broken down in to bite sized proportions so you are not overwhelmed by the sheer size. When you do this you feel happier as you achieve each little step that leads to your final goal. An example is if you want to do 100 press-ups a day so you set a small goal of 5 a day till you can do 10 then increase from there till you are able to do 100 in a day. You should consider the following;

How much?

How many?

How will I know when it is accomplished?

Achievable

You need to ensure that your goal is realistic so it can be attainable, it would still challenge you but would not be impossible. The more realistic and achievable the goal, the more likely you will be to keep working toward it.Consider the restraints and obstacles you've identified and whether you'll be able to overcome them. Think about the obstacles you will face and how you would overcome them.

 As mentioned earlier to achieve any goal there would surely be challenges. What you have to do is to weigh the pros and cons and whether you think it is realistic to accomplish these goals in the face of these challenges. It is advisable to write down all the foreseeable obstacles you face. This would help you to create a good picture of the assignment you face. 

Relevant

What you need to do here is to think and reflect on your goal whether they are fulfilling to you because not all goals are as important as others. Except that goal has a real impact in your overall plan for your life then it is not very relevant to you. Ensure the goal you are setting has a perceivable possible impact on your life and aligns with your other goals. Setting a goal that conflicts with any other goal you have may cause you to not achieve any one. A good way to tell if a goal is relevant is if you are passionate about it, if you are not very invested in it then it is not relevant and worthwhile.

Time-Bound

Your goal should have a time frame or a set date for completion, this would help you to work out a plan of action. For example if your goal is to read 12 books in 6 months then you would know how to plan out your time daily to achieve that because of the time frame you have set. This would help you to avoid procrastination and wanting to push things to a later date. You would be made to stick to the specific actions that would help you achieve your goal within the certain time frame you have set for yourself.

When you are time-bound it creates an internal pressure in you to achieve your goals and as such you would always feel that nudge when you are going astray. 

When you have an especially long term goal its good to always take note of the incremental progress you make so that you do not feel overwhelmed by the goal as a whole and you feel happy and motivated as you achieve every incremental step that leads towards your goal.

Adrian Doyle

OS/21A/0222

Mass Communication