SMART Goal is an acronym for creating Goals and Objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
However, a Goal without Actionable Next Steps is just a Wish!
Goals tend to be broad and long-term, setting the direction for the desired outcomes you want to achieve.
In comparison, Objectives are the strategic steps and actions for accomplishing the Goal.
Without clear, obtainable Objectives, you will not be able to accomplish your goals.
Be Specific with Who, What, Where, When, and Why?
When creating Goals and even more so with Objectives, be very clear about the desired and expected outcome.
You should be able to answer the five W(s)… Who, What, Where, When, and Why?
I want to create a Blog from home this year to generate passive income.
This is a good example of a complete and specific SMART Goal statement.
- Who… I
- What… want to create a Blog
- Where… from home
- When… within a year
- Why… to generate passive income
Some good SMART Objectives for this goal would be…
I will find a hosting service and domain name this week to host the Blog.
I will create three Blog posts each week to have a minimum of 100 posts within a year.
To accomplish a goal, you need Objectives, which is why just filling out a SMART Goal Template PDF is not enough.
Is the Goal Achievable?
You need to ask…
- What does it take to achieve this goal?
- Do you have what it takes?
- What does it take, to acquire what it takes?
You will always need something that you don’t already have to achieve most goals. Acquiring new skills that you don’t already have to achieve a goal is a new goal in itself.
I have a niche that I am passionate about, but I don’t know how to set up a Blog with advertising or much about SEO.
Is the goal achievable? This is the first thing you should ask yourself after writing a clear and specific goal statement.
Why bother defining how to measure the goal or how it’s relevant if you are convinced that it is not achievable. But this is the time to clarify what it tasks and if you want to commit.
Look, if you want something bad enough, make it a goal of yours. But here is where you need to be realistic about how you are going to accomplish your goal.
Measure your Goals and Objectives for Success
How do you know you have reached your Goal?
You must know when you have accomplished your objectives; otherwise, you will likely never know if you are reaching your goals.
It would be best if you defined a metric that, when measured, provides a quantitative answer.
I will have accomplished this goal when I have an average income from the Blog of at least $1,000.00 per month for six consecutive months.
You can track your income from the ads included in your Blog and clearly determine if you have accomplished the goal.
Goals need to be Time-bound
Time-bound means requiring completion by a specified deadline or within a specified period of time.
Goals can be long-term, five, ten, fifteen, twenty years or more, or shorter within a year or two, but should always be Time-bound.
With a Target in mind, you are far more motivated to accomplish the Goal. It’s a psychological thing we all have, so use it.
Objectives, on the other hand, require a clear Target Date. Objectives are far shorter and should have specific start and end dates.
How is the Goal Relevant?
Your goals should be relevant that clearly shows a common long-term alignment and direction.
Goals that are needed to accomplish other goals are clearly relevant.
Blogging is one of the many methods I will use to create a passive income, along with my goal to create a YouTube channel.
SMART Goal Templates
When starting a SMART Goal, most people will search for and download a free SMART Goal PDF Template or SMART Goal Word Template to get started.
Proceed to fill it out and then file it away, only to be forgotten, with no follow-up or execution.
Making the whole experience little more than an academic exercise, with no real return on your effort.
Well, at least you wrote down a wish you have.
How-to create Actionable Objective-driven SMART Goals
There is a better way with what we call “Intelligent & Actionable” Objective-driven SMART Goals.
Autogenerate a complete and specific Who, What (verb and outcome), Where, When, and Why goal statement from guided fill-in-the-blanks questions.
To make your SMART Goal more than a wish, you can add detailed Next Steps for accomplishing the Goal. From simple To-do Items to multi-step Action Item Lists with attached Notes & Documents, all in one place.
You can Organize, Prioritize and Complete your Next Actions with various Action Decision Matrices and GTD® Getting Things Done Productivity Tools.
Plus, there are automatic Task and Goal Reminders, to help you stay Motivated and on Track.
Click on the Template to get started right away.
