Unlock Your Potential with SMART Goal Setting
Hi Team,
We often talk about the importance of goal setting in our learning journey and the primary tool that we use are SMART goals. This technique is something that we have used for years and always ensures that our goals have the best framework to make them feel achievable. Today we are going to break down the five elements of SMART goal setting, to help you achieve optimum results in the future.
Specific
Goal setting starts by being specific and detailed. A technique we use is to see if you can hone down your goal two times. If we use the example of someone wanting to read more, on the first attempt to hone this down, we might specify the number of books we want to read per year. That still feels a little bit too broad and distant, so by honing this goal down one more time we might get to a monthly goal for the number of books read. Of course, you can take this as far as you wish, but the key is to find the level that you become specific with the goal being set.
Measurable
Any goal needs to have some basis for being measured, so that we can track progress and improvement. Before diving into your goal, identifying a criterion for where you are trying to get to can be of great benefit. For example, language ability is categorised by CEFR levels, which runs from beginner to proficient levels. With this measurement available, rather than looking to become “fluent”, when starting at a lower level, it would be more realistic to rise up through each CEFR level one at a time. Goals are kept specific against the level you wish to hit and there is a form of measurement system in place.
Actionable
When we have our specific goal in place, the next step is to breakdown the realistic actions that will be needed. The target is to create a list of the steps needed to get to the end location. The steps that you create should become your roadmap to reaching your end goal, keeping a clear focus on what you can control and act upon. Once created, stick to your roadmap and ensure to regularly update the journey, as required.
Realistic
A realistic goal is more likely to be achieved than one which is too far out of reach. Ideally, any goal should challenge and stretch you, whilst remaining possible and within reach with effort. The benefit of keeping our goals realistic are that it enables us to maintain motivation and avoids burnout.
Time-Based
“A goal is a dream with a deadline”
Defining specific timeframes gives us a clear target for where we need to be by a certain point in time. Without adding a time-based element our goals become loose and can very easily drift away from us. Deadlines help to prevent procrastination and encourage consistent progress over a set period of time.
Closing Remarks
We believe that setting SMART goals should underpin every learning journey, to provide the highest possible chance of reaching your end goals. If we look to ensure that our goals are based around the criteria within the acronym, then it will give us the opportunity for success.
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