Why Your SMART Goals Are Not So SMART

Is it possible that your SMART goals are actually stifling your big, audacious God sized dreams? 

I will hazard to say – it just might be.

Sorry if I’ve stepped on your toes, but there is good reason. I want to see you pursue your dreams – make an impact in the world, accomplish the ‘impossible’ and not limit the possibilities. But if you set your goals based on the SMART method of goal setting, you might be setting the bar too low.

Ironic right? The tool meant to help you crush your goals might actually be holding you back. 

I’ll explain how in a minute, but let’s revisit the SMART goal setting framework first.

What are SMART goals?

The mnemonic or acronym represents 5 essential components to creating clear goals and objectives. 

S= Specific 

M= Measurable 

A= Attainable/Achievable

R= Relevant/Realistic

T= Time Bound

By using this model, you can fine tune your goal setting by answering the following questions…

What do you want to achieve? 

How will you know when you’ve achieved it?

Is it challenging yet achievable?

Is it worthwhile to you and realistic?

When do you want to achieve it?

Now, by all intents and purposes, these are sensible guidelines in goal setting. In fact, I’ve used this model extensively throughout my corporate career. It was, and still is a gold standard of disseminating top down business objectives to the teams tasked to make it happen. The rationale? When teams have a clear sense of a company’s SMART goals, they are more apt to support them.

So what’s the problem?

Let me first preface by saying – SMART goals make sense. I do actually believe they are effective in accomplishing goals just outside our comfort zone.  

Did you catch it? 

SMART goal setting is biased toward goals that are achievable and realistic. Some stretch is ok …but not too much. The questions that are meant to clarify your goals and objectives actually guide you to limit them. 

That is why if you are pursuing big God sized dreams that are impossible in your own strength, your SMART goals might be holding you back.

Change your thinking

Since leaving the corporate world several years ago, I’ve had to revisit the way I’ve approached goal setting. I’ve had to make a mindset shift from employee to entrepreneur to venture WAY outside my comfort zone. 

But nowadays, I’m on a Jesus led adventure and I am confident He will do exceedingly abundantly more than I can ever think or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). So instead of limiting God, I’m giving Him room to do what only He can do. I’m still planning and goal setting because action truly precedes clarity, but I’m also aware that God is establishing my steps (Proverbs 16:9).

A NEW way to make SMART goals

So let’s walk through the SMART goals framework with a mindset shift and renewed expectation of unlimited possibilities.

Step 1: Be Specific

What has the Lord laid on your heart? 

What has He called you to do? 

What do you want to achieve? 

Don’t impose your own limiting beliefs here. Allow the Lord to speak to your heart. If you are unclear, try using P.R.A.I.S.E to get more clarity.

Write it down and include your WHY. This will be really important during the difficult days when you face discouragement and want to give up. I know, I’ve had many of these days. But when I remember that I’m pursuing my business, or nursing, or this blog to:

• Glorify God
• Help others, and
• Provide for my family, 

I am able to reach out for the hand of Jesus and just keep going.

Step 2: Make it Measurable

This is where you consider metrics that will track your progress. The measurements you use will differ based on your goals.

Within the context of my business, I might have a goal to onboard 50 new clients by the end of the year or increase my earnings by 10% over the second quarter. How will I track my progress? What tools can I integrate to capture this information?

Perhaps I can create an excel spreadsheet or Google document to measure client growth. Or use a free accounting software like Wave Accounting to track my earnings. There are also great free productivity/project tools like Trello or Asana to track key milestones. And let’s not forget the online analytics available through Google Analytics that help you gain insight into the likes and dislikes of your audience. 

Whatever the tools you use, you want to ensure it provides clear metrics that help you track your progress toward your big goal.

Step 3: Make it Actionable

Here is where I switch things up. Instead of considering whether the goal is Achievable or Attainable, I reframe my thoughts to consider the action steps needed to actually achieve my goal.

There is a difference. The first approach looks inward to assess what “I” can achieve or attain – which ultimately results in lowered expectations. But the latter embraces your unedited goals and develops an action plan to crush it.

So focus on the actions that will bring you closer to your specific goals. Don’t be surprised if you brainstorm a list of 100 things you need to do like … yesterday. 

This is where you’ll need to prioritize your action steps. I like to transform my long ‘to do list’ into strategic actions categorized as ‘must do’ (green), ‘should do’ (yellow), and ‘it can wait’ (red). These steps form my action plan each day, week, month, and ultimately over the year.

A great tool to organize your schedule is a planner. I use both a physical planner like my floral Living Well Planner or my disc bound Happy Planner, as well as an electronic planner such as Google calendar or Trello. I like to keep my physical planner on my desk which I refer to often and my electronic calendars are always handy while I’m on the go.

It’s a preference. You’ll develop a system that works well for you. The key is to breakdown your big goals into an action plan of smaller steps and consistently take action.

Step 4: Set Rewards

The traditional SMART framework considers what makes the goal Relevant or Realistic. Instead, I consider the Rewards I will enjoy as I move toward my goals.

My rationale is simple. Since I have already established my specific goals, determined my why, and put an action plan in place to achieve it, I am fully committed. 

But here’s the thing – we often neglect to celebrate our victories and prioritize self care while we pursue our goals. So set rewards along the journey. It is both a great motivator and a way to revitalize you.

Step 5: Make it Time Bound

Every good goal must identify when you plan to achieve it. Setting a target date guides your action steps toward successful completion. It keeps you focused on the priorities that will move you toward your goal. 

You should note however, SMART goal setting is not a static process. It is always evolving. That is why it is necessary to revisit your goals, action steps, and timelines on a regular basis and tweak your plan as needed.

Putting it all together

Traditional SMART goals may be stifling your God sized dreams. You can overcome this tendency by shifting your mindset to include actionable steps and rewards as part of the framework. Doing so removes the limits the traditional method might impose.

Be specific with the goals you want to achieve  and protect your why. Include useful metrics to measure your progress. Determine the time bound action steps required to move you incrementally toward your goals. And remember to reward yourself along the journey.

So go ahead and confidently pursue your big audacious goals. Jesus goes with you and is able to do exceedingly more than you can think or imagine both IN and through YOU.