SET SMART GOALS
Goals also should be SMART. In this case, the word SMART not only is a clever description of the type of goal, but it also is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound. The reason these are all desirable traits for goals is because they not only help to plan how to meet a goal, but they also can contribute to the decision-making processes during the planning stage.
What does it mean to create SMART goals?
- Specific—For a goal to be specific, it must be defined enough to determine the goal. The goal, “Get a good job when I graduate,” is too general. A more specific goal would be, “Get hired as a nurse in a place of employment where it is enjoyable to work and that has opportunities for promotion.”
- Measurable—Measurability often is overlooked when setting goals. Each goal should have clearly defined outcomes that are detailed enough to measure and can be used for planning how to achieve a goal. For example, setting the goal, “Do well in school,” is a bit undefined, but the goal, “Graduate with a GPA above 3.0,” is measurable.
- Attainable—Achievable goals are reasonable and within able to be accomplished. While the goal, “Make an extra one million dollars by the end of the week,” is something that would be nice to achieve, the odds that you could make that happen in a single week are not very realistic.
- Relevant—For goal setting, relevant means the goal applies to the situation. In relation to college, the goal of, “Get a horse to ride,” is not very relevant. However, “Get dependable transportation,” is something that would contribute to success in school.
- Time-bound—Time-bound refers to setting a specific timeframe to achieve a goal. “I will get my paper written by Wednesday,” is a time-bound goal. “I will get my paper written sometime soon,” does not help in planning how and when the goal will be accomplished.
In the following table, see some examples of goals that do and do not follow the SMART system. In reading each one, think about what elements make them SMART or how those that are not SMART could be changed.
Goal Examples
| Goal |
Is it SMART? |
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I am going to be rich someday.
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No
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There is nothing specific, measurable, or time-bound in this goal.
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I will graduate with my degree on time.
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Yes
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The statement calls out specific, measurable, and time-bound details. The other attributes of attainable and relevant are implied.
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I am going to save enough money to buy a newer car by June.
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Yes
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All SMART attributes are covered in this goal.
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I would like to do well in all my courses next semester.
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No
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While this is clearly time-bound and meets most of the SMART goal attributes, it is not specific or measurable as it does not define what “do well” means.
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I am going to start being a nicer person.
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No
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While most of the SMART attributes are implied, there is nothing measurable in this goal.
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I will earn at least a 3.0 GPA in all my courses next semester.
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Yes
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All the SMART attributes are present in this goal.
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I am going to start being more organized.
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No
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While most of the SMART attributes are implied, there is nothing measurable in this goal.
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Application
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Try writing two SMART goals, something with a one-week time frame and something that you will accomplish over the next year. Make certain that you include all the appropriate elements—specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
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MAKING AN ACTION PLAN
Like anything else, making a step-by-step action plan as to how goals will be attained is the best way to make certain they are achieved. The size of the goal does not matter whether it is small with immediate results (e.g., finish all homework due by Friday) or a big goal that takes several years to accomplish (graduate with my degree in the proper amount of time).
The planning techniques used for time management and achieving goals can be similar. In fact, accurate goal setting is very much a part of time management if the completion of each task is treated as a goal.
What follows is an example of a simple action plan that lists the steps for writing a short paper. Something like this can be used or modified to better suit personal preferences.
Action Plan
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Task
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Objective
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When
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Choose topic
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Select something interesting
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Needs to be done by Monday!
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Write outline, look for references
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Create structure of paper and outline each part.
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Monday, 6:00 p.m.
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Research references to support outline, look for good quotes
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Strengthen paper and resources
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Tuesday, 6:00 p.m.
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Write paper introduction and first page draft
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Get main ideas and thesis statement down
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Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.
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Write second page and closing draft
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Finish main content and tie it all together
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Thursday, 6:00 p.m.
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Rewrite and polish final draft
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Clean up grammar, writing style, and effective communication
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Friday, 5:00 p.m.
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Another useful approach to goal setting is to create SMART goals and then write them down. For most people, there is a higher level of commitment when they write something down. If goals are written out, each component can be compared to the SMART acronym and to ensure it is on track for achievement.
STICK WITH IT!
As with anything else, the key to reaching goals is to keep at it, keep motivated, and overcome any obstacles along the way. In the following graphic, find seven methods that highly successful people use to accomplish goals.
These seven ways to stay motivated are good suggestions from highly successful people. What other strategies would you suggest?
GOALS AND PLANNING
Now that we have examined the SMART goal method for setting actionable goals – or goals that are planned and stated with enough clarity for the goal-setter to take realistic action toward meeting those goals – we will explore how long- and short-term goals help to connect the action steps created during the SMART goal process.
Long-Term Goals
Long-term goals are future goals that often take years to complete. An example of a long-term goal might be to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree within four years. Another example might be to purchase a home or run a marathon. While this chapter focuses on academic and career planning, long-term goals are not exclusive to these areas. Long-term goals might be related to fitness, wellness, spirituality, relationships, and more. When setting any long-term goal, it demonstrates a commitment to dedicating time and effort toward making progress. Because of this commitment, it is important that long-term goals align with personal values.
Short-Term Goals
Setting short-term goals helps in considering the necessary steps to reach a goal, but it also helps to divide a larger effort into smaller, more manageable tasks. Even when long-term goals are SMART, it’s easier to stay focused when setting short-term goals and leads to less overwhelm during the goal completion process.
One might assume that short-term and long-term goals are different goals that vary in the length of time they take to complete. Given this assumption, one might set a long-term goal to, “Learn how to create an app,” and the short-term goal to, “Remember to pay your cell phone bill this weekend.” While these are valid goals, they do not demonstrate the intention of short- and long-term goals for the purposes of effective planning.
Instead of just being bound by the difference of time, short-term goals include action steps that take less time to complete than one long-term goal, while also assisting in working toward a long-term goal. For example, to work toward the goal of determining the best academic degree option, it might make sense to do some research to determine what kind of career is most interesting. Or, in achieving the short-term goal to pay the cell phone bill this weekend, perhaps the short-term goal is related to a long-term goal of learning how to better manage budgeting and finances.
SETTING LONG- AND SHORT-TERM GOALS
Sunil's Story
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Sunil’s story provides an example of effective goal setting. While meeting with an academic advisor at his college to discuss his change of major, Sunil was tasked with setting long- and short-term goals aligned with that major. He selected a degree plan in business administration, sharing with his advisor his intention to work in business and, hopefully, human relations, in particular. His advisor discussed with him how he could set short-term goals that would help his progress on that plan. Sunil wondered if he should be as specific as setting short-term goals week by week, or setting goals for the successful completion of every homework assignment or exam. His advisor shared that he could certainly break his goals down to that level of specificity if it helped him to stay focused, but recommended that he start by outlining how many credits or courses he would hope to complete. Sunil drafted his goals and planned to meet again with his advisor in another week to discuss.
Sunil worried that his list of short-term goals looked more like a checklist of tasks than anything. His advisor reassured him, sharing that short-term goals absolutely can look like a checklist of tasks because their purpose is to break the long-term goal down into manageable chunks that are easier to focus on and complete. His advisor then recommended that Sunil add to his plan an additional note at the end of every other semester to “check in” with his advisor to make certain that he was on track.
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PLANNING FOR ADJUSTMENTS
Recall from the SMART goal-setting model that goals should be both measurable and attainable. Far too often, however, goals are set with the best of intentions, and we fail to keep track of progress or adjust short-term goals if they are not progressing as quickly as we would like. When setting goals, the most successful planners also consider when they will evaluate their progress. During evaluation, perhaps after each short-term goal should have been met, they may reflect on the following:
- Am I meeting my short-term goals as planned?
--If so, celebrate!
--If not, you may want to consider reevaluating your plan. You may need to break down you goal into smaller steps, identify any obstacles, or use different resources.
- Are my short-term goals still planned across time in a way that will meet my long-term goals?
--If so, continue on your path.
--If not, reconsider the steps you need to take to meet your long-term goal. If you’ve gotten off track or if you’ve learned that other steps must be taken, set new short-term goals with timelines appropriate for each step. You may also want to seek some additional advice from others who have successfully met long-term goals that are similar to your own.
- Are my long-term goals still relevant, or have my values changed since I set my goals?
--If your goals still are relevant to your interests and values, then continue your path, seeking advice and support as needed to stay on track.
--If your goals no longer are relevant or aligned with your values, give careful consideration to setting new goals.
While departing from the original goals set may seem like failure, taking the time to reflect on goals before setting them aside to develop new ones is a success. Pivoting from a goal to new, better-fitting goal involves increased self-awareness and increased knowledge about the processes surrounding a specific goal (such as the details of a college transfer, for example). With careful reflection and information seeking, a change in plans may even demonstrate learning and increased maturity!
Application
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Take a moment to practice setting long- and short-term goals. Your short-term goal should help you progress toward your long-term goal. Include a plan for when and how you will know if you’re on track or if you need to adjust your goals to match new priorities.
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Goal setting practice
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My Long-Term Goal:
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My Short-Term Goal:
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My Plan for Checking My Progress:
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Keep in mind that values and goals may change over time due to meeting new people, changes in life circumstances, and the development of wisdom or self-awareness. In addition to setting goals and tracking progress, it is important also to periodically reflect on goals to ensure consistency with your values.
IDENTIFYING PRIORITIES
Thinking about goals is a great way to start, but it’s also important to think about priorities. We often use the word “priorities” to refer to how important something is. One might think, “This is an important goal” and ”That is less important.”
Priorities do not work this way.
It doesn’t make a lot of sense to try to rank goals as always more or less important. The question of priority is really a question of what is more important at a specific time. One should not have to choose between these, except at any given time. Priorities always involve time: what is most important to do right now? Time management mostly is a way to juggle priorities so all goals can be met.
When time is well managed, some goals do not have to be completely ignored at the expense of other goals. For example, a student does not need to give up his personal life when he registers for college, but he may need to work on managing his life and time more effectively.
Who Is Driving Your Tasks?
When setting a goal, a person may have greater autonomy in managing their own time, but many other tasks may be driven by a number of different individuals. Such individuals not only are unaware of the things a goal-setter needs to accomplish, but they often have goals that conflict with one’s personal tasks. This means that different instructors, managers at work, or even friends may try to assert their needs into your priorities. An example of this might be a boss that would like you to work a few hours of overtime, even though you were planning on using that time to do research for a paper.
As with assessing the requirements and needs for each priority, doing the same with how others may be influencing one’s availability can be an important part of time management. In some cases, keeping others informed about priorities may help avoid possible conflicts (e.g., letting your boss know you will need time on a certain evening to study, letting your friends know you plan to do a journal project on Saturday, but can do something on Sunday, etc.).
It will be important to be aware of how others can drive priorities and to listen to personal judgment. In essence, time management in college is as much about managing all the elements of one’s personal life as it is about managing time for class and completing assignments.
Making the Tough Decision When It Is Needed
Occasionally, regardless of planning or good time management, events arise where it becomes almost impossible to accomplish everything needed by the time required. While this is very unfortunate, it simply cannot be helped. As the saying goes, “things happen.”
In this type of situation, prioritization becomes important. You may find yourself in the uncomfortable position of only being able to complete one task or another in the time given. When this occurs with college assignments, the dilemma can be extremely stressful, but it is important to not feel overwhelmed by the anxiety of the situation so that a carefully calculated decision can be made, based on the value and impact of your choice.
What do you do when faced with priority conflicts?
As an illustration, imagine a situation where you think you only can complete one of two assignments that are both important and urgent; therefore, you must make a choice as to which one you will finish and which one you will not. This is when it becomes critical to understand all the factors involved. While it may seem that whichever assignment is worth the most points to your grade is how you make the choice, there are a number of other attributes that can influence your decision in order to make the most of an unfortunate situation. For example, one of the assignments may only be worth a minimal number of points toward your total grade, but it may be foundational to the rest of the course. Not finishing it, or finishing it late, may put other future assignments in jeopardy as well. Alternatively, the instructor for one of the courses might have a “late assignment” policy that is more forgiving—something that would allow you to turn in the work a little late without too much of a penalty.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, the first step is to try to find a way to get everything finished, regardless of the challenges. If that simply cannot happen, the next immediate step would be to communicate with your instructors to let them know about the situation. They may be able to help you decide on a course of action, or they may have options you had not considered. Only then can you make the choices about prioritizing in a tough situation.
The key to navigating priority conflicts is to make certain, be aware of and understand all the potential consequences to help make the best decision when the situation dictates making a hard choice among priorities.
However, time management works only when one is committed to goals. Attitude and motivation are very important. If one has not yet developed an attitude for success, all the time management skills in the world will not provide the focus and motivation to succeed.