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SMARTER Goal Setting That Really Works

Guest post by: Tim Brownson

Article Overview: Many people use SMART goals, but if you want to increase your chance of success exponentially you need to employ the SMARTER method.

SMARTER Goal Setting That Really Works

As a life coach I spend a fair bit of time helping people set goals. For the first 3 or 4 years working with clients I used the tried and tested method of SMART goals because it’s what I’d been taught. However, I always felt there was something missing and the method was less than exhaustive.

That was when I started playing about with NLP’s (Neurolinguistic programming) well formed outcomes, but again I felt there was something missing. Sure well formed outcomes ticked some of the boxes that SMART goals didn’t, but it missed some others.

Then a couple of years ago I hit upon the rather obvious idea of combining the two and making a goal setting structure that is clear, easy to use and far more likely to be successful for anybody implementing it and that’s what I want to share with you today with the SMARTER Method for goal setting.

SPECIFIC: Is your goal specific? Could anybody read it and understand what it is you’re trying to achieve? If you are doubtful on this then it may be you have a dream as opposed to a true goal.

MEASURABLE: It is important to be able to measure goals and track your progress because without the ability to do so you can easily lose heart and focus. If you’re trying to lose weight you can hop on the scales, if you want to earn $1,000,000 you can check your bank statements and if you want to run a marathon you can record your training schedule.

Are your goals measurable?



ACTION ORIENTED: This is a real bugbear of mine and if I see this listed as “Achievable” one more time I will scream. It is NOT achievable or even attainable because they are the same as R, which we will cover next.

You cannot have a goal that doesn’t require you to do anything. Sitting in a comfy chair and hoping the mailman will deliver you a check for a million bucks is not a goal it is a hope or a dream.

REALISTIC: Now do you see why we don’t need achievable? They are effectively the same thing. I am not that keen on realism because some of the greatest achievements of the human race were completely unrealistic. I would rather you set a goal of earning $1m this year and get to $850k than aim for $250k and hit it.

The only thing I’m interested in with clients is, is it physically possible? It’s unrealistic for a 70 lb, 4 foot tall, 80 year old women to have a goal of playing O lineman for the New York Giants (although she could probably get a gig with my team, the St Louis Rams). Most other things are up for grabs.

TIMEBOUND: For those of you that have ever worked in sales you will know that the one thing that kills more deals (that appear to be going well) than anything else is the time element. If there is no time limitation then deals don’t get done because there is always something more urgent for prospects to attend to. The same applies to goals. If you set a goal of losing 20lbs with no time limit then you have given yourself carte blanche to do nothing because next week will always do. Set a deadline and stick to it wherever possible.


ECOLOGICAL: When setting a goal think of the impact not just on yourself, but those around you.

What if you want to start your own business and you have a young family to support and no reserve income? Or you want to quit drinking, but happen to be a roadie for a rock band. Or maybe you have a goal to quit smoking and then find the only time you ever get to leave the office for 10 minutes and free your mind is when you go outside to have a cigarette?

I’m in no way suggesting you give up on a worthy goal, just that you are aware of any pitfalls and plan for them in advance rather than getting derailed because you didn’t expect them.

REWARD: So what is it you want? What is the real reward? What will you see, hear and feel when you get to your goal?

You may have a goal of earning $1m but what is the real reward behind that? That money is useless in isolation, so what does it really get you. Look past the obvious, drill down and keep asking, “So what else does that give me?” When you can go no further then you are at your core values and that is the real reward and the thing you should be focusing on if and when things get tough.

So now you know how to set stunning goals, so what are you waiting for, go set some!

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Article Tags: goal setting, goals, SMART, smart goals, SMARTER



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