If you're new to Running On Full Today, you may want to take a moment to subscribe to the RSS feed...the process is quick and painless and you will be rewarded greatly. Thank you for stopping by!

Here is a goal setting activity that if practiced will accelerate you toward your highest and best priorities. Good goals are critical to better time management and execution. SMART is a popular and well used acronym. Moreover, it’s a helpful tool for moving forward.

1. Using the SMART Goal Setting acronym, analyze goals you have made in the past and how effective they have been.  

2. Then develop a new set of goals based on the same SMART Goal Setting criteria.

Working through a goal setting activity like this will make you much more aware of just how you have done in the past and what you need to make the best goals possible for the future.

A lot of us are goal deprived, preferring, more by default than anything else, to just let life happen to us. This is one of the sure roads to stress and burnout. I once read that less than 3% of people put pen to paper and write down their goals. I am sure much the same could be said for many of our organizations. Interestingly, it is the same 3% who accomplish more than all the 97% combined. 

Let’s get started with this goal setting activity. Using the acronym SMART, here are the things to aim for when you write down your goals. Check yourself against them. 

Goal Setting Activity - S

Specific Well defined Specific goals define the desired outcome, objective or benefit to be delivered. It defines the specific target you are aiming at. This allows you to focus your thinking and efforts. 

No ambiguity– Goals are clear to anyone who has some understanding of the organization. 

Clear. Clarity in goal setting is critical. Specific goals let everyone know what, when and how much. Specific goals allow you to measure progress toward completion.  What – What do you really want the result to be? 

Where – Define a location if this is important to the goal. 

When – A specific date on the calendar  

Who – Who is involved? 

Why – This is the motivating factor. Why are you doing this? What are the benefits of accomplishing this goal? 

Example: An ambiguous goal would be: “I want to begin painting again.” A specific goal would be “I will submit two paintings to the art show on November 10th”. 

Goal Setting Activity - M

Measurable A measurement lets you know when you have attained of accomplished your desired end result. For example, numbers are easily understandable measurements – 8 months, 4 days per week, $100,000 dollars, 60 pounds, 2 paintings. 

Progress – When you can measure, you know how much is completed and how much farther there is to go. 

Celebration – You have a measurement that allows you to celebrate important milestones on the way to your goal. 

Benchmark – Here’s where I started and what I measure against. Here’s how far I have come.  

Deadline – November 10th is a deadline. You can’t be much clearer than that. Target dates assist you to stay on track. It has been said that a goal without a deadline is just a dream. Because you have recorded the goal, you can point to your completion of it as a success. It builds confidence and locks in proof that you can accomplish what you set out to accomplish. 

Goal Setting Activity - A

Action-Oriented Action words are clear. “I will submit “ is a whole lot clearer than, “I should submit”; “If I get two paintings done, I’ll submit” or “I would like to submit”. Many organizations I have worked for, have mamby pampy goals (no, make that wishes!) that will likely get them no where. Action verbs get you somewhere. That’s why we call this a goal setting activity.

Measuring something that is being done is easier than trying to measure nothing being done. 

A - Attainable   Some people set goals that are unattainable. I have nothing against big goals. But if there is no way you can accomplish ‘world peace’ in your lifetime, that is unattainable. Making a brief to a UN forum on world peace to be held next year is attainable. 

A goal should be a stretch, just beyond our immediate grasp, or just beyond employees and volunteers immediate reach enough to pull us forward and challenges our comfort zones to accomplish. It provides a sense of excitement, anticipation and desire to reach the goal.  

Set right – A goal set too high or too low (less than the normal standard performance) doesn’t hold any relevance. It will be dismissed and ignored. A goal that is set right will start you thinking on how you can make it happen. You begin to increase your capacity for reaching the goal by adding skills, attitudes, experiences and resources (both human and physical) that can assist you to get there.  

A – Agreed Upon - All stakeholders agree what this goal should be. 

A - Acceptable - If you set the goal, your motivation for reaching it is much higher than something dictated from the outside. It is ‘acceptable’ to you, in line with who you are as a person and how you best perform. Tomorrow we will conclude this goal setting activity. 

We cover much more detail in the courses, programs and coaching that we assist our clients with. Those who pay attention move further in a shorter period of time.

Popularity: 78% [?]

Share This