I wanted to jump right in, but old habits are hard to break. I like to start each year with words of encouragement for the new year. I usually center those words of encouragement around a theme, since I am not one for New Year’s resolutions. Last year’s theme was to focus on the new. This year’s theme… live SMART.
Like a lot of writers, inspiration comes in many forms. For me, I look for inspiration everywhere. This post’s inspiration happened to be found while listening to the radio. A life health coach was being interviewed. The focus was health, eating better, and exercising more. In discussing each topic, the focus wasn’t on making resolutions, but making life changes, small choices that can lead to huge gains. Her comment was that she teaches her clients to live SMART. As soon as she said that, she had my undivided attention. What was living SMART?
SMART is an acronym, first developed in the world of business. The letters stand for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based. Although the original inventor of the acronym had a slightly different version, and there are several versions out there, the idea is fairly consistent. The overall premise is about setting goals and objectives. Before I go on, one might wonder what this have to do with life in general. Here is how one writer put it.
You could say that the whole human endeavor is geared towards setting and achieving goals. Goals are part of every aspect of life: how you conduct relationships, what you want to achieve at work, what you want to save for at home, even down to the way you use your spare time. Everything comes down to priorities, and what you would like to accomplish. Without setting goals and/or objectives, life becomes chaotic. Accomplishments like sending someone to the moon, inventing the iPod, a cure for cancer, are the result of a goal that was set at some point and a vision that was charted and realized.
Specific
A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general one. For example, a general goal would be, “Get in shape.” But a specific goal would be, “Exercise three days a week for thirty minutes.”
Measurable
Establish concrete criteria (concrete evidence) for measuring progress on each goal you set. When you are able to measure progress, you stay on track. You can see progress, feel good about achievement, and are motivated to continue. In the above example, the measurement is three times a week for thirty minutes.
Achievable
This isn’t about the goal, as much as it is about the person. I believe you can achieve most any goal you set your mind to. But, to make it achievable, you have to figure out ways to make them come true. You develop attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals, you build your self-image. You see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them.
Relevant
Once again, this isn’t about the goal as much as it is about the person. To be relevant, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. Is reaching your goal relevant to you? Do you actually want to run a marathon, lose 30 pounds, or eat better? Only you can decide. If you’re lacking certain skills, find trainings. If you’re lacking resources, look for them.
Time-based
Everybody knows that deadlines are what makes most people switch into action. So, set deadlines. A goal should be grounded within a time frame. Keep the timeline realistic and flexible. After all, life does happen.
SMART living brings structure and trackability into what you want to accomplish. Instead of vague resolutions, SMART goal setting creates verifiable trajectories towards a certain objective, with clear milestones and an estimation of the goal’s attainability. Living SMART is not about rushing, procrastination, and quick fixes. It’s about laying a good foundation upon which you can build. It’s about changing your behavior for the long haul. It’s about staying focused on doing those things that bring you closer to your goal, one step at a time.
If you’re really serious about improving you, your relationship with God, your health, your prayer life, your wealth, your habits, your dreams, your attitude; whatever your goals in life are make them SMART. I would love to hear from you. Do you have a SMART goal?
One of mine? Run a Spartan Race!!! I know that, in order to realize this goal, I have to build my upper body strength. To accomplish that, SMART goal number one is to work out three times a week specifically on upper body strength, that will be measured by my increased ability to do pull-ups. Wish me luck!!!