Why using SMART goals are stunting your growth and what you can do instead.
If you work in the corporate world, you’ll know all about SMART goal setting. You’ll no doubt have been told that the most effective goals must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound. Generally though they are boring, dull and about as inspiring as your Monday morning commute.
What if there was another way? A far more effective technique that will get you excited about achieving your goals….
I’ve worked in the public sector so know all about the tyranny of the appraisal season. SMART is the sacred cow of goal setting and must not be criticised. It doesn’t help that a lot of Companies don’t even use this framework properly and insist on setting goals like “be innovative”. My favourite example is one Company who had an example “SMART” goal on their appraisal paperwork…. “Display the organisations values and behaviours”. Not specific, not measurable, not time bound! This goal will never happen.
The main issue with using SMART goals, especially when used for personal development, comes down to setting goals that are achievable and realistic. Says who?? SMART goals keep you in your lane, they encourage you to play small.
Everything is impossible until someone does it.
Take, Roger Bannister. Prior to 6 May 1954, ‘experts’ said it was physically impossible to run a mile in under 4 minutes. Bannister believed that this was simply a psychological barrier- other runners believed it couldn’t be done and therefore they couldn’t do it. As Henry Ford once said “whether you think you can or think you can’t. You’re right”. Once Bannister proved it was possible, the record was broken time and time again.
Never let anyone else place their limits on you.
SMART goals also work solely at the conscious level. They appeal to the logical part of the brain. Have you ever tried to change your behaviour consciously? Maybe you’ve started a new diet, started a new exercise regime or tried to stop smoking? It’s hard work and probably didn’t last! If you can get under the hood and work with the unconscious mind, change is permanent and happens quicker and easier.
A better (and a much more fun) way to set goals is by utilising the full power of your imagination. This works for all areas of your life including relationship, career and personal development goals. The key is to imagine yourself at some point in the future- after you’ve achieved your goal. Imagine this like a movie scene. Perhaps you’ve got that promotion and you’re sat in your new office- what can you see, hear, feel, taste and smell?
Describe the scene in as much detail as possible- really see the pictures, hear the sounds, taste the tastes and feel the feelings. You really want to make this as vivid as possible. Use all of your senses. What will you be thinking when you have it? What will others see or notice about you? How will you know when you have it? e.g. If it’s a job, is it when you have the job offer? You have started on your first day or when you have received your first pay slip? Be precise.
You can go through the whole exercise in detail by downloading my free goalsetting guide from the bottom of the home page.
Essentially this exercise gets you to use the power of your entire mind rather than just the conscious logical part. Your unconscious mind doesn’t deal in detail- it is symbolic and responds better to images. Your unconscious mind is what actually determines your behaviour, and it loves serving you. It needs precise and consistent information though. Think of it like programming a SatNav- you could just tell it the County and get vaguely near to where you want but give it a postcode, a house number and you will reach your desired location. So be as specific as possible when you write your goals. Think through the detail.
Once you’ve gone through the entire exercise then you must take immediate action. This is where SMART goals can work in tandem with your compelling future to actualise your plan to get from where you are now to where you want to be. Taking action every day creates momentum. If anything gains momentum, it is difficult to stop.
If you take nothing else from this blog- know that you are 100% responsible for the result you get. If you want success, you must take full responsibility for your outcomes. Stop blaming everyone else. It is not the government, the economy, your partner, your parents, your upbringing, your workplace or the weather. If you are at cause, rather than effect, you have a fantastic chance of reaching your goals. The more you take responsibility for everything in your life, the better your results will be.
Another key to achieving your goals is having someone in your corner to hold you accountable. Most people break promises with themselves all the time. We all start the day with the best of intentions and then life happens- perhaps you were starting a new workout plan, a healthier diet, drinking less etc. By Friday afternoon, it has all gone out of the window and you spend the evening watching hours of Netflix and eating junk food. The thing is willpower is weak. Going at it alone often means that it is easy to give up, go back to making excuses and shaking your fist at the world.
The American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) found the following in a recent study:
- 65% of their participants completed a goal if they asked someone to hold them accountable to their goals and fully committed to accomplishing their project with their accountability partner.
- 95% of people successfully met their goals when they did the above and attended a specific appointment with their accountability partner to discuss their progress and success.
It’s time to make your goals your reality and you only do this by taking action.
Imagine if you could set really powerful goals and could use your entire mind to drive you towards them? What if you had a roadmap to get you from where you are to where you want to be? What if you could stop dreaming and start doing? Where could you be in one year from now if you started taking action today? How would you feel if you were making progress each and every day?
I’d love to hear all about your goals and to be a part of your journey. Book a free strategy call with me to refine your goal and hear how I can help you make the path to success all the more smoother!