Setting SMART Goals

 

Setting goals are very important to ensure success. Goals lend a direction to our life. They make our lives meaningful. Success is measured by how many goals we have achieved. And this brings us to todays topic of setting SMART goals.

 

SMART Goals mean:

• S - Specific
• M - Measurable
• A - Achievable
• R - Relevant
• T - Time bound

 

Unless the goals we set have these quality, we would never be able to achieve them. These lend a concreteness to our goals.

 

Specific:

Our goals should not be vague. They should have a simple and to the point objective. Something that we can actually work towards. It helps clearly defining our target.

 

Measurable:

Our goals should be defined in terms of exactly how much of a thing we want. Like a person trying to write a book can say: I will write 100 pages per month. If this component is lacking, tracking our progress becomes very difficult.

 

Achievable:

Our goals should be realistic and within our grasp. Only then can it motivate us to work hard. Setting unrealistic goals like I will become the next Warren Buffet in 1 year is a fraud on ourselves.

 

Relevant:

Our goals should be in synchronous with who we are. What we really want in life. They should be relevant to our current purpose. They should be a reflection of our current priorities.

 

Time Bound:

This gives a deadline to our goals. Vague goals will never be achieved. Setting a self imposed deadline will motivate us to work hard in achieving it. It will also help measure and track our progress.

 

Our goals should be determined by the above formula. Next we have to work hard to achieve them. I remember the lines by our beloved APJ Kalam: “Dream is not that which you see while sleeping it is something that does not let you sleep.”