Goal Setting

⚡️ Resources: Video: Setting SMART Goals (Better Than Yesterday, 2018)

Specific: Is my goal vague? Would different people have different interpretations of my goal?

• "Save more money." NO. How much more? How often?

• "Exercise everyday." NO. What is considered exercise?  How much/far? For how long?

• "Attend classes." NO. Maybe too easy. 

Measurable: Can progress in my goal be measured (usually meaning, quantifiable, but not always)? 

• Measurable goals that are quantifiable: 

  • 2 kg

  • 10 seconds

  • score of 1100

  • $1 million

  • 10 statements of gratitude

• Measurable goals that are not quantifiable: 

  • Stop smoking.

  • Get into school X.

  • Participate in class.

  • Eat breakfast everyday.

  • Overcome fear of spiders.

• Internal goals that aren't measurable:

  • Freedom

  • Self-compassion

Achievable: Is it doable if I were to make an effort?

• "Get 6s in all my courses." NO. Maybe not realistic for now or given the circumstances.

• "Don't get into an accident." NO. It's hard to know when you've achieved a non-event.

• "Become a House Captain." NO. It doesn't compel you to take any specific action.

Relevant: Do I care about it? Do those who are involved in my goal care about it?

• "Save enough money to buy a car." Maybe NO. Maybe you don't even need a car? Maybe you think that this is what will make you popular or liked but does it...

• "Get a perfect score in Mario Kart." Maybe NO. Once you get your perfect score, then what? 

• "Get a 100 likes on my next video." Maybe NO. Once you get 100, then what?

Time-Bound: Have I specified a timeframe?

• "Be able shoot 30% from the 3-point line." NO. By when?

Clarity: Is my goal clearly stated or vague? Would I know when I've achieved it?

• "Become better at chess." NO. How do you define better?

• "Improve my chess score by 2% every month." YES

Challenge: Is my goal difficult enough? Would achieving it be satisfying? Would working towards it help me grow?

• "Clean my room." NO. On it's own, it's just a task. Finishing it doesn't take much effort and wouldn't help you grow.

• "Redesign my closet storage." YES. May demand knowledge you're not familiar with and experimentation. The result would lead to. 

Commitment: Do I want it enough to overcome inertia? Is the status quo uncomfortable enough that I am motivated to change my behaviour?

• "Become the top scoring player" but you don't like sport you're playing. NO

• "Spend more time with my family." YES, as it may be very meaningful.

Complexity: Does level of complexity of my goal match my situation?

• "Use our entrepreneurship club to launch a #1 app by the end of the year." NO. There may be unforeseen circumstances that are outside of your control. 

• "Win the end of year tournament." No. There's no way for you to track your effort or growth during the year.

• "Eat 100 grams of protein each day." NO. Maybe too specific or too time-consuming/stressful to track. If you are about to go on a trip, maybe your schedule doesn't allow you to control your eating. Food prep may not be in your control. 

Feedback: Am I set up to be able to get feedback on my progress regularly? Can I without track it without difficulty?

• "Increase web traffic by 30%" where I have it connected to Google Analytics. YES

• "Lose weight" but the only scale I have access to is at my grandma's which I visit once a year. NO

• "Be healthier." NO. This feedback is based on my feelings which might fluctuate based on factors not related to my health.