Goal-setting is a very stressful activity, especially when it’s commonly associated with failure.
In the hope of avoiding disappointment, many personal growth writers advocate the SMART goal-setting approach.
SMART is capitalized not because I’m shouting at you or because I’m being sarcastic, but because it’s an acronym (although you can say it in a sarcastic tone throughout this article to make the article more amusing).
SMART stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic (or Relevant)
Time-bound
I’m personally of the opinion that goal-setting doesn’t tend to work for different reasons, and it ultimately depends on your own circumstances, which is why you need to figure out what you’re struggling with, and find a solution for that.
Do you lack the confidence to pursue your goals?
Do you lack the tools?
Do you find goal-setting too overwhelming?
Are past failures weighing you down?
Do you identify with past failures and label yourself as a failure?
Do you keep putting yourself down through negative self-talk?
Do you find it difficult to come up with goals to pursue?
Are you surrounded by individuals who make personal change difficult?
Are you dealing with a crisis that’s draining your attention and energy?
My guess is that different readers will respond differently to the questions above.
Some questions will be more relevant than others.
Some questions will sting a little, and some will sting a lot.
But the SMART approach doesn’t take the complexity of goal-setting into consideration.
It somehow overlooks many of the challenges people face when it comes to achieving their goals.
It’s what I would consider a simplistic approach, and not a simple one.
Besides, should all goals be measurable? And are all goals time-bound?
Maybe these are the factors responsible for your struggles in the first place!
I know from personal experience that having a “time-bound” goal when it comes to weight-loss is a major reason for giving up on healthy living.
You want to lose X amount of kilos in Y number of days.
But when you don’t see it happening and your progress is too slow, you give up on your goal and return to your old, unhealthy ways.
You may experience better results if you were to drop the time limit and take each day as it comes.
You can focus on making your choices for the day the best choices possible to you, and allow the results to take care of themselves.
You may not meet a deadline, but do you really need a deadline? For every goal?
It certainly helps to take the SMART factors into consideration, but it’s also wise to look at each of your goals and think of all the factors you need to make it happen, and to be aware of the obstacles standing in your way.
If you think that one of the SMART factors doesn’t apply to one of your goals, don’t feel obliged to force your goals to fit into the SMART template.
That may not be the smartest thing to do.