Let's get SMARTER • 3 min read

A study of nearly 270 participants showed that professionals from a variety of industries across multiple countries were 42% more likely to achieve their goals if they were written down.
The study which concentrated not only on goal-setting, but also on the strategies for achieving the goals, provided empirical evidence for the effectiveness of...
Writing down our goals.
Committing to action.
Accountability on a weekly basis.
Introduction
Vague goals are uninspiring, so we want to introduce you to a proven system for setting and achieving goals to help you...well, be inspired!
Most of you have probably heard of SMART goals but we want you to get SMARTER using data from the latest research on goal-setting strategies.
In this post we’ll look at the key attributes that make goals more inspiring and attainable.
Write down your goals
Research shows that the more specific and challenging your goal is, the more likely you are to invest your focus, creativity and effort into achieving them.
At PushMe, we use six little letters to help us achieve these goals faster.
Specific (S)
What do you want to achieve? Define exactly what success looks like. So, that means shifting your mindset from:
“I want a promotion”
to:
“I want to be promoted to Head of Operations”
Measureable (M)
How will you measure your progress?
Set milestones along the way. Using the example above, you may need to complete a training programme, shadow a colleague for a period of time, and hit your own personal targets.
Actionable (A)
What action can you take today?
Be clear and direct about the actions you need to take. “Book the 8-week training programme that starts in March” is a clear action that you can do today.
Realistic (R)
Is your goal realistic?
Ensure you can achieve this goal. We are big fans of setting stretched targets - you may eventually want to become Chief Operating Officer (COO) but it may not be realistic until you have first experienced the Head of Operations role.
Timebound (T)
When do you want to achieve the goal?
Define the time period. This could be a specific date or the end of a quarter or the end of the year.
Exciting (E)
Does this goal excite you?
You need to determine if this goal gets you out of bed.
Intrinsic motivation (using your internal drive to motivate yourself) is key to goal attainment so if you don’t find your goal personally compelling, you are unlikely to have the drive to push through when you come up against challenges.
Relevant (R)
Why does this goal matter?
Remember your big picture - what do you want to achieve in your role and within your company?
SMARTER goals in practice
Before we keep going, we need you to read the following sentence 8 times...yes, 8 times!
"Perfect is the enemy of good."
It’s not about getting it perfect. It’s about getting started and then fine-tuning your priorities and goals as you go.
We recommend you set between 5 and 10 professional goals for the year. These can be spread out across the year but they should act as your North star.
Here are some examples to get those creative juices flowing.
Examples
Deploy [ACTIONABLE] the new customer support initiative [SPECIFIC] to increase our satisfaction rating from 50 to 70 [MEASURABLE, REALISTIC and EXCITING] by March 31st [TIMEBOUND].
Meet [ACTIONABLE] 20 existing clients [SPECIFIC, REALISTIC and MEASURABLE] to help design our new product [EXCITING] which is launching in Quarter 4 [TIMEBOUND].
Prioritise [ACTIONABLE] 1 new innovation initiative [SPECIFIC and REALISTIC] by April 30th [TIMEBOUND] after collecting and rating the top 10 ideas [MEASURABLE and EXCITING] from our Quarter 1 innovation workshop.
Remember, these goals should be RELEVANT to your big picture.
Key takeaways
Writing your goals down not only forces you to get clear on what, exactly, you want to achieve. It also motivates you to take action.
Set 5 to 10 goals for the year that excite you and that tie into your big picture. Aim to come into work every day with a focus on those goals as they are what matters most.
Perfect is the enemy of good. Your goals don’t need to be perfect, just get started and you can refine them over time.
Think big. act small
If you haven’t already written down your professional goals for the year, take action today.
Remember, they don’t need to be perfect to begin with and can be adapted over time.
Content sources
Deloitte, Becoming irresistible: A new model for employee engagement
ForbesBooks, The Science Behind Setting Goals (and Achieving Them), Forbes
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey
The Effectiveness of Four Coaching Techniques in Enhancing Goal Achievement, Gail Matthews
Your Best Year Ever, Michael Hyatt
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