We really love this word at Team Ener-C. love it, and everything it represents. Without goals in our lives, we often find ourselves lost. Probably more so now than ever. We can have a feeling of emptiness, boredom, and even feel slightly depressed. When it comes to goals, they don’t need to be BHAG: Big Hairy Audacious Goals.They can be a series of targets set throughout the year in different areas of our lives. This is where the term SMART goals comes in.
How many of you have set a goal (often an important one), especially at the beginning of a new year, only to fall off the proverbial wagon a few weeks or months into it? Don’t worry, we can all admit that we have, and it is quite common. You see, a majority of us want to push ourselves to accomplish things (this is a great passion to have) however, often the goals that we want to achieve and ideas that we bring to the table sometimes are just too far out of reach in the time frame that we give ourselves. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t set these types of goals, it just means we need to really look into the kinds of goals we are setting and give ourselves the proper time to accomplish them.
This is where SMART goals come in:
Specific
- Are your goals clear and defined? What do you want to accomplish this goal?
Measurable
- How do you measure the success of your goal? Are you keeping track of your progress?
Attainable/achievable
- Do you have support or resources to help you accomplish this goal?
- Is this a goal that other people have successfully done before?
Realistic
- Is this goal reachable within the time you have given yourself
- Is it realistic to accomplish within your life?
Timely
- Have you set a realistic time frame to achieve this goal?
- Is there a deadline for this goal?
When we set goals – using the SMART method helps us stay focused and on track. Setting big goals is excellent.
SMART goals also lead to more accomplished goals as they reduce the amount of “failed attempts” due to the goals we sometimes set that aren’t entirely within our reach at the present time.
During this time, GOALS may not seem like a priority, however these goals can be utilized for everyone in the family to stay on track. It can be from our home fitness routines, work/life balance, doing home projects to even homeschooling the kids.
However, sometimes, it is vital to set a few smaller and SMARTer goals along the way to lead to the success of those big goals.