What Are SMART Goals?

LinkedIn recommends we all set 'SMART goals' if we want to achieve something meaningful. SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. Let's pick them apart a little more.

Specific means setting a target which is identifiable and simple. It's all about looking at a bigger goal and breaking it down, tackling the elements which seem manageable at the time. Specific and narrow goals help you plan more effectively – think of them as building blocks. You tackle each one on an individual basis and eventually they build up into that overarching goal.

Measurable means defining the criteria you will measure your success against. What evidence do you have that you're making progress towards your main goal? Do you need to be doing things differently if progress is too slow? Having a criteria to measure your success against means you can re-evaluate things if they're not heading in the right direction, getting yourself back on the right track.

Setting goals which are attainable helps keep you motivated and makes a larger task seem more manageable. Before you begin working towards a goal, ask whether it is achievable at the moment, or whether you need to prepare by setting another goal to complete first. Set out a timeframe in your head and make sure you can achieve the goal within that time frame. This helps keep you focused.

There's no point in setting goals which aren't relevant, either to you and your values or to the longer-term ambition. Relevant goals contribute towards that bigger picture, so mull over a few questions before setting yourself a task. Why is this goal important to you? How will achieving it make it easier to accomplish the overarching, longer-term ambition? If you can't answer these questions, it's time to move on and set a different goal.

Finally, make your goals time-bound. Pin a time frame to both your overall goal and your smaller segments of it. Having an end-date to work towards helps you prioritise tasks and keeps you feeling positive. If, for example, you want to become a team manager within the next six months, work towards that. If you haven't succeeded within the allotted time, think about why and start afresh with a new approach.

Setting SMART goals helps you stay on track for future career success. If you want to achieve, start setting your own today.