How To Be SMART With Your Goals

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SMART goal question: Do you ever feel like you’re working so hard but not getting anywhere? Or are you struggling to visualize how you’ll make progress toward key accomplishments over the next few years?

Setting goals makes it realistic to fulfill your ambitions, and setting SMART goals provides the clarity and the approach that you’ll need for success. Continue reading to learn more about why SMART goal-setting is important and how this strategy will help you achieve your dreams.

What are SMART goals?

Jobs for those with only a high school diploma are in trades or more labor intensive. It’s harder for young black men to show their true potential in these positions. Additionally, vocational certifications only prepare you for one trade, and can’t be applied elsewhere without an additional certification.

Job mobility is limited for candidates with only a high school diploma, which can result in young black men being stuck in jobs that might not give them much satisfaction. Higher education typically has general education requirements which allows students to explore different subjects and get a better idea of what they want to do without wasting time, money, or credits.

The first known use of SMART is in the November 1981 issue of Management Review, a magazine for managers published by the American Management Association. Consultant George T. Doran wrote an article titled There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and objectives, in which he discussed the importance of setting goals and how this acronym can help.

Since then, the SMART strategy has been widely used in different applications by different people. The SMART acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Assignable (or Achievable), Realistic, and Time-related. This goal-setting methodology simplifies what needs to be done and provides the necessary structure and support for people to effectively accomplish goals and achieve the results they desire.

In general, the easiest way to make a goal achievable is to define it clearly so that it is easy enough to understand and comprehensive enough to provide a framework for completion. Setting goals the SMART way allows you to:

• Have confidence in what you want to accomplish
• Understand why you want to achieve each goal
• Identify what is required to complete the goal
• Stay motivated and focused on the end result
• Keep up with specific deadlines
• Improve your ability to follow through
• Meet high standards of performance and fulfil expectations

Fortunately, SMART goals are simple to use by anyone, anywhere, and without the need for additional tools or training. To create a SMART goal, start with a good understanding of something you want to accomplish.

The SMART Strategy

Specific

The first step is to be Specific. Many people also aim to be simple, sensible, significant, or strategic in this stage of goal-setting. Write down exactly what you want to achieve, being as specific as possible. When writing your goal, try to answer the following questions:

• Who is involved?
• What do I want to accomplish?
• Why is this goal important?
• Where is this goal located?

Measurable

Next, we’ll add more context on the “how” of the goal to make it Measurable. To create a measurable goal, it’s important to be able to track progress. Write down how you will evaluate and assess this goal. Address questions like:

• How much or how many?
• How will I know when it is accomplished?

Assignable or Achievable

Then, we’ll determine how to make this goal Achievable. While this differs from the original objective (Assignable), it’s important to remember that the first use of this strategy was in a project management setting. When applying this framework to personal management, having an achievable goal is more suitable. For this step, list the tasks you will need to complete in order to achieve this goal. Answer questions such as:

• How can I accomplish this goal?
• How can I work through potential limitations (like financial factors) to keep this goal within reach?

Realistic

After determining that this goal is within reach, we’ll explore what makes it Realistic. There is some variation for this stage, as some people focus on what is reasonable, results-based or relevant. Essentially, this step helps outline why the goal is important and how it contributes positively to future aspirations. A realistic goal satisfies the following considerations:

• Does this goal seem worthwhile?
• Is this the right time?
• Am I the right person?
• Is this in line with other efforts?

Time-related

Lastly, we’ll add important details to make the goal Time-related. Often, people will use time-based, time-limited, timely or time-sensitive for this stage. All of these terms will help you to understand a timeline or target date for what you want to accomplish. A time-related goal will include information on:

• What you can do within the first 3 weeks
• What you can do within the first 3 months
• What you can do right now
• When you can expect to accomplish this goal

Here’s an example of how the SMART strategy can be an effective tool that helps you succeed. Rather than setting a goal to improve your GPA this year, set a goal to dedicate an extra hour of study time a week for English, Math, and World History to be able to score at least one letter grade higher for both semesters to increase your GPA by .75 and unlock important merit-based academic opportunities next year.

Benefits Of Setting SMART Goals For Teens

As the above example shows, setting goals can be very beneficial for teens. Specifically, SMART goals are perfect for teens because they enable them to focus on every necessary aspect of the goal. When teens set SMART goals, they learn about themselves – what they are capable of, what limitations may exist, and what they need help with.

Teens with SMART goals tend to be more focused in life, as they know exactly what they want to do and how they can do it. This minimizes the chance of getting off track or not knowing how to move forward.

Parenting guides suggest that goal-setting is a part of self-management, and it will help teens increase self-awareness and build self-esteem. As teens continue to grow and become more self-sufficient, their ability to set goals for themselves and make effective progress is increasingly important. In addition to academics, goal-setting can be applied to personal accomplishments, relationships, or post-secondary opportunities.

How To Support Your Teen’s Goal-Setting

Parents can support their teens goals by being a constant source of encouragement, even if their goals seem out of reach or even undesirable. No matter the goal, teens need to learn how to work independently and persistently to achieve something that they want. So, it’s important to guide and encourage them, while allowing plenty of space for your teen to make progress, appropriately evaluate, and seek guidance.

Many families may have dreams for their teens, but in order for them to feel accomplished and be happy in what they do, teens need to pick their own goals. Families can help their teens by asking how they’re doing with their goal and celebrating every step of the way. Whenever teens fall behind, simply encourage them to adjust the goal or ask for help.

It’s inevitable that some things may not go according to plan – simply help your teen identify why this happened and how they can bounce back.

The Blue Heart Foundation helps young men develop the vision and purpose to create goals that help them to build self-respect and self-esteem to better navigate the world around them. We firmly believe that children are the future leaders, so we are determined to provide the knowledge, wisdom and skills they will need to be successful. Learn more about The Blue Heart Foundation here.