Setting goals can be a challenge or an experience whether it’s in your personal or professional life. Not to mention, life can also be a bit chaotic and achieving your goals may never go according to plan, but most of us set these goals without much thought or structure, which is where it can get very messy.

The process of setting a goal and attaining it can make a huge difference to your motivation and it may even increase the chances of successes. For example, instead of saying “I want to pass my assignment”, you should set a specific result (maybe 65%) and have specific content you wish you to cover within the assignment in order to reach that goal. Be clear on what your assignment is asking of you instead of getting by and ‘just’ passing.

We came across a useful way to help you identify and structure your plans to achieve your goals with assistance from the SMART technique. The SMART technique is known to help one achieve small or big goals in one’s personal or professional life. And here is what SMART stands for…

1. Specific

Before you want to achieve something, think about what it is that you expect to come out from it and why. As in the example above, don’t aim to just pass but think about what content you want to add and why. Think carefully about the ‘who, what, when, why and how’ of your goals and that will help you make them more specific.

2. Measurable

Break your goals down into measurable components and track them at each stage whilst considering sudden changes that may creep up, in other words, account for a bit of lost time that may be used to focus on something else.

3. Attainable

It’s important to set realistic goals and by this we mean, if science is not a strong point of yours, then don’t aim for 90%. Set a goal that is achievable according to your time, energy, ability and commitment. This does not mean you should not push yourself to strive for success but make sure it’s not an impossible achievement. Instead, try to better your knowledge in science and increase your results by at least 5-10% each time.

4. Relevant

This segment relates to the ‘why’ of your goal. A goal may be specific, measurable and attainable but if it’s not relevant to you and your interests, then you shouldn’t be chasing after it. Ask yourself the purpose behind the goal and what you hope it will bring in order to get an idea on its level of relevance. This will also assist you with prioritising your goals – some may be less relevant than others but that does not mean you should forget about them.

5. Timely

This relates to time management which we have previously discussed on our blog. An important component in setting a goal is to develop realistic timelines that you are able to stick to. You can also include specific milestones along the way that will keep you on track and help you achieve your goal.

We hope that this method helps you form some sort of structure and purpose with regards to the goals you wish to achieve. Let us know if you have used this technique before and what were the goals you used SMART for.