SMARTER Goals For Bigger Dreams

Michael Hyatt has updated the SMART goal framework.

Enter SMARTER goals.

Now, based on the same premise but further clarifying and providing further structure to the type of requirements for effective goal creation, SMARTER goals try to capture the motivation and structure further when those goals will be targeted. Furthermore, they try to recognize the reality of accomplishing otherwise well-intended goals in an otherwise chaotic and unpredictable life.

SPECIFIC - Is My Goal Narrow Enough?

Is my goal specific enough? “Reading more books” is a well-intended goal but leaves much to be desired in defining the intention and doesn’t necessarily make it easy to target. What type of books? This subsequently requires you to do a lot of heavy lifting whenever you are ready for a new book. Are you looking for fiction or non-fiction? Does a 200-page book count the same as a 20-page book? What about comics and picture-based books, fashion or art books? Defining your goals, specifically, frames and limits the total number of considerations and possibilities so you can focus and generate productive work quickly.

MEASURABLE - Can I Easily Modify My Goal To Provide A Percent Complete Or Success Rate?

How would you quantify your progress if you had to tell someone about your progress to date? Being able to track your progress, recognize your success, compare your success between months, and measure that success more objectively helps you track efficiency and provide structure to sometimes subjective perceptions, which are more susceptible to circumstance.

ACTIONABLE - Does my goal invoke a concrete action image?

Can I picture myself accomplishing the goal in an actionable way? ‘Being a better husband or father’ is an abstract goal which more specific and concrete actionable tasks. So choosing those specific and concrete actionable tasks holds you accountable to those specific tasks. Being a better father, however, is much more arbitrary, which doesn’t lend itself towards being specific or measurable, despite being well-intentioned.

RISKY - Does my goal challenge my limiting beliefs?

Am I growing throughout this process? This is a new concept that veers away from the traditional SMART goal. But are we pushing ourselves? Are we growing beyond our limiting beliefs about what is possible? Is the goal lofty enough to be worth identifying as a goal? It doesn’t make sense for a marathon runner to identify a goal of running 5km weekly. It isn’t expanding your maximum potential.

Instead, using the word ‘yet’ can be important to creating liberating truths. I am not a fast reader…yet. I am not able to run 10km…yet. I cannot paint well…yet. These are not your permanent characteristics but snapshots of your current function, which can be improved and changed over time. Give yourself more credit.

TIME KEYED AND TRIGGERRED - Do I Have A Deadline And Or Clear Action Trigger?

Someday is not specific enough. Someday does not inspire the urgency needed for action. Someday does not establish a routine for completion, nor a regularity of focus. By building into the goal-specific time triggers that necessitate action, the likelihood of actionable accomplishments with regularity is identified. “I will read 2 non-fiction biography books every month by reading daily at 9 PM”, identifies a time-trigger of 9 PM. You are committing in advance to doing this task at 9 PM. You are planning and scheduling yourself to a commitment with a clear timeframe for this pursuit. It isn’t some arbitrary future undefined timeline but a clear, easy-to-understand, easy-to-keep-yourself-accountable time.

EXCITING - Do I Have At Least Two Powerful And Exciting Reasons Why I Want To Complete This Goal?

Am I accomplishing this goal because I actually want to accomplish it, or is this because I should? The older I get, the more I recognize the importance of intrinsic motivation and the longevity that personal motivation provides. Now that school is done, academia is no longer an all-encompassing facet of life, and instead, lifelong learning and the pursuit of my own interests dictate my actions. Having clear motivations for what I want to get done and a conscious and clear written prompt holding those motivations in the forefront of my mind greatly augments my motivation. Am I enjoying myself in this goal? Is this goal gratifying and rewarding me in both the long-term and short-term so that I can enjoy every part of this journey and process? I think recognizing and planning for a goal with both short-term dopamine hits as well as long-term hits is important to staying motivated.

RELEVANT - Is This Goal Relevant To My Current Phase Of Life?

Identifying whether a goal is relevant to my current life gives me the opportunity to acknowledge goals as important and meaningful but also perhaps inappropriate at certain stages in my life. It allows me a way to consider the likelihood of accomplishing something as it pertains to my current lifestyle, other responsibilities and prior arrangements that may hinder my ability to complete these goals to the best of my ability. For example, it might not be the smartest idea to pursue a career-related goal if I have a newborn and should be focused on supporting my wife and child. It can still be a meaningful and important goal that I still am motivated to accomplish but should be deferred for the health, mental well-being, and enjoyment of the pursuit of the goal. And that’s okay. I don’t necessarily need to reshape the goal to something less risky, extend the timeline, or anything like that. I don’t necessarily have to abandon the goal to the best of my ability but shelf the entire goal in its original state for a later date when my current phase of life allows for it.