SMART goals reimagined…
Last week we looked at ways to get going with your vision for 2023.
Once your desires and goals are starting to take shape you can create a little more structure around them.
SMART goals are the most common way to organise your goals.
SMART usually stands for:
Specific - the more specific the goal, the easier it is to implement it and enlist support from others. The clearer the goal, the more powerful it becomes. Start by asking “what is the desired outcome?” and refine it until it is simple, concise and clear.
Measurable - how will you know you have achieved your goal? This will help you celebrate along the way.
Achievable - set goals that seem achievable knowing yourself, resources, time available? What are the hurdles which might get in your way?
Relevant - is the goal results-oriented?
Time-bound - by when? Without a completion date there is no sense of urgency and no real commitment to the goal.
When it comes to this last one - Time-bound - remember, things often take longer than you think! There can be a tendency to cram everything into the first quarter of the year and then feel disappointed and give yourself a hard time. See my last blog post on the power of setting intentions before goals. So have a think about what goals you want to lean into gradually, and what might need to be done more quickly.
Having said all of that, I actually prefer an alternative set of SMART goals which reframes them in a way that is more aligned and less pushy, bringing in a bit more feminine energy. So…
Instead of being Specific, a goal could be Simple. It could be a vague vision of possibility.
Instead of being Measurable, a goal could be Meaningful or Memorable. You would know a goal had been achieved when you felt it had been achieved. What meaning does the goal have? How does this goal make a difference for you or others? What impact will it have? Create goals from a place of personal power and alignment with what is most important to you.
Instead of being Achievable a goal would be an Acceptable goal. It would be something you truly wanted and were willing to be responsible for achieving.
Instead of being Relevant, a goal would Resonate with you. It would light a fire in your heart. A fire so bright, warm and inviting that you couldn’t imagine not putting forth the time, effort and energy to achieve what might seem like an impossible dream.
And instead of being Time-bound, a goal could be Timeless. As long as that fire burned in your heart and you were willing to continue working toward creating the memories and doing the meaningful work, there was no deadline. Experiencing the freedom to enjoy the journey, without the constraints of a timeline, is a gift you can give yourself.
I wanted to offer an example of both types of SMART goal setting with the topic of exercise.
Example of traditional SMART goal: I would like to run a 10K race. To make this SMART I could amend to: I am going to run the 10K race in Manchester May 2023. I know I have time to train between now and then. I will challenge myself to beat my previous 10K time of 62 minutes - that will feel like a great achievement!
Example of reframed feminine SMART goal: I would like to move my body more and feel more connected to it, feeling stronger whilst also taking care of it. I feel excited by the possibility of bringing this into my life through music and dance. I am curious to try 5rhythms. This idea lights me up. I am going to explore opportunities to try this during the year ahead.
Perhaps you would like a blend of the two approaches? That’s totally fine! Do whatever works for you. But no matter which way of approaching it you choose, do choose! It is the best way to see if your planned action matches up with your overall vision for this year. If it doesn’t, time to pick some new goals 🙂
Here is a box you can complete (you can copy and paste this as many times as you want):
Goal:
How resonant is it (1-10):
Priority / by when:
Action steps:
1.
2.
3.
Happy planning!
Elle xo
