There is a lot of information on social media about SMART goals; a concept that was introduced by George T. Doran in 1981. A goal written SMART-ly clearly and specifically states what you intend to achieve and by when. This approach creates focus and enables you to track how you are progressing towards what you want to achieve.
 
Interestingly, a whopping 97% of people do not have goals and do not have a plan in place to successfully achieve their goals. This goes a long way to explain why so many people feel that they are stuck in a rut and not making headway in their lives.
 
The acronym SMART, explained in the table below, is used to check that you described your goal in sufficient detail and specifies how you can track your progress towards successfully achieving your goal:

​Most importantly, a goal is written in present tense. It is one of the ways to focus your mind on achieving the goal. When you are satisfied that your goal is written as a SMART goal, make sure that you visualize it and put it in a place where you will see it every day. This is another way to focus your mind on the goal.
 
Here is a practical example using my avatar Pat:
 
To achieve general good health and improve her energy levels, Pat decides to increase her fitness by doing some form of exercise 3 times a week for at least the next 6 months, working up to a duration of thirty minutes.
 
She describes her goal, visualizing her future achievement making sure to write it in the present tense and include all aspects of a SMART goal (at the time of writing her goal it is January 2025)
 
It is 1 July 2025, I walk or cycle for 30 minutes on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
 
Pat checks her goal against the SMART criteria and is satisfied that she has articulated a SMART goal! She is also happy that it is to the point and simple.

Pat writes out her goal in bright colours on a big piece of paper and pins it to the door of her fridge. She is also considering making an image of the goal to use as her screen saver on her cell phone. Talk about focusing the mind!
 
Creating a SMART goal is the first step to successfully attain what you want in your life. You can create goals to improve any area of your life. Pat chose to improve her health. You might want to improve a relationship, progress in your career, increase your wealth or just deliberately go about including some fun and adventure into your life. Start today by writing your own SMART goal – follow it up with a good plan to take you from today to your goal end day – and then do it!

Setting a goal is not the same as making a resolution.

Making a resolution is about a decision to do, or not to do, something. Resolutions are often made on the spur
of the moment, in an emotional state, or under peer pressure, and have little to no assessment of the practical implications of the decision. This explains why a whopping 80% of new year’s resolutions are abandoned by February.
 
In setting a goal, there is also the intent to do, or not do, something. The process of setting a goal however requires logical, practical assessment of current state, desired state and what must be done to move from the one to the other.
 
A SMARTEST goal, a good plan and plain old discipline is the mix for achieving success.
 
Let’s look at how to define the goal first.
 
The following table describes the elements of a SMARTEST goal:

​It is key to have a clear picture of what life will be when you achieve you goal – when you write your goal, project yourself to the future date and write the goal in present tense.
 
For example my 2022 goal reads as follows: It is 1 April 2022 and I weigh 55 kilograms.
 
Is it a SMARTEST goal? I believe it is. 

​Next you need a plan.
 
During planning, you

• identify everything that must be done to take you from your current state to the time that you achieve your goal
• plot your list of things against a timeline between Today and Your Goal date.
  

​Below is an example. You will notice that the plan has a good amount of details and that every second milestone, also has how I will reward myself when I achieve that milestone.

​And now – you do it! Have a copy of your goal and your plan visible where you can see it every day. Focus on what you want one day at a time until you get there.

There is one important principle though, if you find that you are not achieving your goal – DO NOT change the goal, rather change the plan. 

How did your New Year’s Resolutions unfold this year? Did you achieve your goals for 2021?
 
The numbers may vary but in general it is interesting that a relatively small percentage of people set goals and of those an even dismally small percentage actually achieve their goals.
 
If you are in this elite group of people, well done. If you aspire to be one of these focused, successful achievers, continue reading…..
 
3 Top Tips for achieving your goals

• Write down your goal following SMART principles – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound
• Put your goal in a place where you see it every day
• Now write down the steps you must follow to successfully achieve your goal, with clear milestones along the way
• Identify your support and lean on them for help when you are wavering

 
As we enter November, let’s already start planning what we want to achieve in 2022.
 
A Life Coach is the ideal partner for help in assessing your development areas, setting goals and achieving them.