We’ve all been there. You WANT to do well. You have a desire to be successful, and if someone were to ask you “do you want to pass this course with flying colours?” the answer would undoubtedly be “yes!” But...
But when it comes to putting this thought into action, it’s not quite as easy as promising yourself that you’re going to give it your all, and then putting your feet up to watch Game of Thrones while waiting for the good results to show up.
The truth is, in order to achieve a significant goal, you need to put in the hard work. There is no point in sugar-coating this fact and pretending that there is a secret fast-track route to success that those at the top of the ladder have discovered. Unless you are struck by a case of miraculous luck, it is likely that in order to get a distinction/get that promotion/launch your business, you’re going to need to put the hours in.
This thought can be incredibly overwhelming. You may have a firm idea of what you want, but as soon as potential challenges begin to emerge, doubt creeps in. “I don’t have time to do all of this!” being one of the most common offenders of the negative thought process. “I don’t think I could do very well anyway, so there’s no point in trying!” being another. These excuses can be incredibly destructive for our goals, leading to a decline in motivation, and most detrimentally, the shelving of an idea until one day it suddenly becomes easier, or just convincing ourselves that it’ll be fine to do the bare minimum. Not only is this bad for our goals, but it’s bad for our overall wellbeing (progress on our goals leads to a happier life, according to Psychology Today!).
So the question is, how can we alter our perspective, so we see our goals as achievable and not as a huge, scary struggle which will no doubt lead to failure and humiliation? The answer to this is simple: a) put together a sturdy plan, and b) stick to it. When it comes to creating your strategy, there are a number of different approaches that you could use, but one particularly useful methodology that has gained increasing popularity in the last two decades is to think SMART.
The SMART acronym originates from Doran’s 1981 publication: There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and objectives. Doran’s definition tied each letter to five important criteria:
The main significance of this acronym is that is allows us to clearly define the areas that need to be considered when setting a goal. Without a plan in place, a goal is just a broad, sweeping statement, such as ‘I want to succeed’. We need to ask ourselves, what individual tasks do I need to complete in order to achieve my ultimate goal of success? How will I measure my achievements? What help/support can I get, and what resources are available to me? What is a realistic time-frame within which I can achieve my goal?
Each of these words should be at the forefront of your mind when putting a plan together. The importance of measuring progress is often ignored – it seems that many people adhere to the belief that until they have gotten what they want, they have not yet succeeded. But even small steps should be recognized and rewarded. Likewise, being realistic is key – aim high, but don’t set yourself up for failure by giving yourself unachievable deadlines. Think hard about exactly how much time you have to invest in your project each day, and then stick to that timeline. This will help you to keep focused and stay motivated.
SMART thinking can be applied to various objectives, whether they form part of your personal, professional or academic life. Once you start breaking your goals down into manageable tasks, you’ll find that reaching those bigger milestones becomes less scary, and more feasible. So, why not have a think about how you could use the SMART method to change the way you think about your own goals?
