Need help turning desire into action?
Try creating SMART goals.
SMART goals are termed smart because they are clear & direct.
Clarity is fundamental in the creation process because understanding the exactness of what you want makes follow-through easier.
Also, clarity affords direction. You can build constructively upon precision & create a system to cement your efforts.
So what are SMART goals?
SMART stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-bound
SPECIFIC
↳ Specific: as the name implies, your goal needs to be specific, clear-cut, precise. It details the how-to of what you set out to achieve.
☒ I will eat healthy.
No specifics here or execution plan.
☑︎ I will eat healthy by eating a vegetable with each meal & staying away from processed food.
Specific ✓
ADDING ONTO SPECIFIC
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. ”
Create a system, a detailed report on how you will get the job done.
Your system considers what you will do, but it also incorporates your mindset & the behavior you'll need to align with to make your goal happen.
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Your system ➝ the changes you'll make, the habits you'll build & the bad ones you'll break.
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Let's say you want to lose weight.
To lose weight, your system details going to the gym & eating healthy.
So how do we turn these two aspects of your system into habits?
One way is to find strategies, like creating an implementation intention suggested by James Clear in his NYT bestseller book Atomic Habits.
The implemetation intention is:
I will [behavior] at [time] in [location].
For those wanting to lose weight, an example would be,
I will [exercise] at [3 p.m.] in [my gym].
Research has found that people who have employed implementation intentions are more likely to follow through on their goals.
To read more on this concept + how to build good habits & break bad ones — to increase your chances at goal success —, check out Atomic Habits by James Clear.
MEASURABLE
↳ Measurable: give your goal a system to measure/track your progress.
☒ I will lose weight.
Losing weight isn't trackable.
☑︎ I will lose five pounds.
You can use a scale to track five pounds.
ATTAINABLE
↳ Attainable: your goal needs to be realistic. This component is essential to achieve balance & sustain motivation during the process.
☒ I will lose twenty pounds in one week.
This goal is highly unrealistic, not to mention extreme and unhealthy.
☑︎ I will lose four-six pounds in a month.
Attainable, because losing one-two pounds a week is considered a safe rate to lose by health specialists.
RELEVANT
↳ Relevant: your goal needs to hold intrinsic value. The desire behind the goal must be authentic.
☒ I want to lose five pounds to make my ex regret breaking up with me.
This goal holds superficial value, in which case, motivation won't last.
☑︎ I want to lose five pounds because I want to look & feel my absolute best.
This goal is relevant because you are fulfilling an internal desire.
TIME-BOUND
↳ Time-bound: give your goal a timeframe. A deadline can initiate movement, as well as motivate.
☒ I will lose ten pounds soon.
Soon is not a timeframe.
☑︎ I will lose ten pounds in two months.
Timeframe → two months ✓
SUMMARY
By creating clear goals, SMART goals, that already have an execution strategy devised, you'll position yourself at a higher rate to succeed.
Not only is it a powerful way to relieve yourself from the stall phase, but it makes your goals appear more doable when you've already designed the steps to get there.
