Trouble with SMART Goals? Try SMARTER Goals

SMART goals is a popular way to set goals. Smart stands for:

S- Specific
M- Measurable
A- Achievable
R- Realistic
T- Timed

Now these are all undoubtedly incredibly important parts of the goal setting process. And not having all these components would make if more difficult to reach your goals. But the formula is missing the most important components in any goal.

Emotion
If you are not emotionally attached to your goal there is no way you will ever do the work to achieve it. Some people think that simply wanting a goal means an emotional attachment to it. You can make SMART goals all day long, but if you don't feel a thrill run through you when you first read it, you haven't made a good goal.

When you make a new goal always start with emotion. Focus not on what you think you should have, but your dreams of the future. What gets you really excited? What would make you itching to get started? It could be absolutely anything, but it has to be completely specific to you. You can never share a goal of someone else's as you just wont have the right emotional connection to that goal. You have to be able to not only imagine it, but see yourself in possession of the goal and absolutely LOVE the idea of having it.



Right
This one is not so intuitive, but your goal must be Right. Your goal must contribute and be right not just for you, but others around you and the whole world. Most people are basically good, certainly if you weren't a good person you probably would not be reading this article. If achieving your goal would harm someone else or inadvertently harm you, you won't be able to achieve it. You'll never allow yourself.

Now the important thing again is this is your view of right and wrong, and it differs for everyone. What someone else sees as right may be wrong to you. So think about the goal as a whole, what you would have to do to achieve it and actually possessing it. How will it feel to do whatever you have to do to reach the goal? If it makes you happy, driven, and elated then it is probably Right for you. If you like the idea, but have a niggling doubt in the back of your mind, or if you have a slight sickened feeling in your stomach don't ignore it.

Now you have to look at what is creating that feeling. Could it be a limiting belief you have, such as 'rich people are generally bad', 'my wealth means someone else must be poor'. Or is the goal actually harmful to others and would it ruin your own self-respect. Obviously if it is the latter you must get a new goal, but generally it is the former. It doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the goal, it just means that you need to address your limiting beliefs before you can move toward that goal. Before you try to move toward this goal make sure you collect evidence and shift the beliefs to focus on how this goal could contribute and be good for the world. If you can't see this, get a different goal.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with SMART goals, but it's not smart to only use this formula as there is more to successfully reaching your goals. Often people don't understand what they've done wrong, why they just can't reach any goal, no matter how "smart" they make their goal. Generally it's because they didn't have an emotional attachment to the goal, or they sabotaged themselves as they didn't believe the goal was Right.

So rather than SMART goals I recommend SMARTER goals.

S- Specific
M- Measurable
A- Achievable
R- Realistic
T- Timed
E- Emotional
R- Right

Learn more about goal setting and other empowerment and personal development techniques by visiting NiamhArthur.com, where Niamh Arthur will show you how to make personal development a part of your day to day living.