Posted by Dave Lorenzo - Business Coach

I have always been a proponent of setting goals based upon the SMART goal development methodology. Many individuals have taken credit for the development of this acronym over the years and I would love to give credit where credit is due but it is impossible to determine who first developed this paradigm. What I do know is that it is helpful in developing effective goals at any level.

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Tangible. A goal must fit all of those criteria in order for it to make your list.

The first quality of a goal is that it is specific. The more detail you can bring to your goal, the more likely it is that your brain will perceive it as real. A great test to measure the specificity of your goal is in answering the five “W’s.” The five “W’s” involved in goal setting are:

Who: Who is involved? Can you accomplish this goal by yourself or do you need the help of others?

What: What specifically do you want to accomplish?

Where: Is this goal specific to a location? Where will you be when you achieve this goal?

When: When will you achieve this goal? It is critical that you establish a timeframe for achieving each of your goals.

Why: Why is achieving this goal important? List the specific benefits of accomplishing the goal.

The next step is to make certain you can measure progress on your way toward goal accomplishment. You know that your goal is measurable when you can apply specific objective criteria to help track your progress toward completion. The best question to use to test the measurability of your goals is, “How will I know that I have accomplished this goal?”

Measurement has a very powerful effect on progress. Simply put, things that get measured get done. To define how you will measure your goal, ask yourself questions that begin with How much, How many, and How often. Use strategies such as target dates to make sure you remain on track.

The next quality your goal must have is that it must be achievable. In other words, it must be possible. Initially, achieving your goal may seem like a stretch. That’s fine; you want a goal that will make you reach. When you set a goal that channels your passion, your brain goes to work figuring out ways to make it happen. You develop the attitudes, skills, and knowledge that help you move down the path toward achievement. Gradually, you begin to see opportunities that you may have previously missed. As you begin to take advantage of these opportunities, you bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goal.

You can attain virtually any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a timeframe that allows you to carry out those steps. A goal that initially appeared distant and unattainable gradually becomes closer and more possible, not because your goal changed, but because you grew and expanded to match it. The change occurs within you. When you write out your goal, you commit to it. This builds your self-image. You begin to see yourself differently. The work you do toward goal achievement helps you believe that you are worthy of the goal. When you realize that you deserve this success, you begin to develop the traits that will help lead you toward achievement. That’s the power of goal setting and achievement and why you must set goals that are achievable.

Next, your goal must be realistic. To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective you are both willing and able to spend time and energy achieving. A goal can be challenging and still be realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. You will stretch your goals as your self-confidence increases. It is critical to make sure that every goal represents substantial progress. A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a less challenging one because a minor goal requires a low level of personal motivation. Some of the hardest things you ever accomplish actually seem easy because you approach them with passion and zeal.

Finally, your goal must be tangible. A goal is tangible when you can experience it with at least one of the five senses. Can you taste, touch, smell, see, or hear the results? If so, then you have a tangible goal. If your goal is tangible, or when you tie a tangible goal to an intangible objective, you can envision it before it is achieved. This helps program your mind and reinforces the belief that achievement is possible.

Filed under: Goals
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1. […] A couple of weeks ago I posted about S.M.A.R.T. goals. Guy Kawasaki weighs in today with his take on goals for entrepreneurs.  He says: […]

   Pingback by Career Intensity Blog - David V. Lorenzo — January 29, 2006 @ 19:50

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