You’ve heard it before. You’re more likely to reach a goal if it’s specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based.
In other words, SMART.
Many of us set vague goals, like this one:
“I want to write a novel.”
But a SMART goal looks more like this:
“I want to write the first draft of a 150,000 word fantasy novel by June 1st.”
The more concrete a goal is, the more likely you are to reach it.
And this doesn’t apply only to big goals, like writing a novel or losing 50 pounds. Turning the tasks on your to-do list into SMART daily goals makes you more likely to complete those tasks.
Here’s how you can make a daily goal SMARTer.
Step 1. Make the Goal Specific.
If you’re like most of us, your to-do list it littered with vague daily goals like, “Wash dirty clothes.” But what does that mean, really? Will washing one load count? Or do you have to wash every piece of dirty laundry in the house before you can go to bed tonight?
Not knowing when you can stop sometimes makes it harder to start. So give yourself a finish line that will let you know when you’re done with a task.
You can make a goal more specific by adding just a few words. So “Wash dirty clothes,” becomes, “Wash two loads of laundry.”
Now you know that, when you’ve washed two loads of laundry, you can mark the task off of your to-do list.
As you look at each task on your to-do list, ask yourself, “How will I know I’m finished with this task?” If you can’t answer that question, try to make the task more specific.
Step 2. Make the Goal Measurable.
When a goal is measurable, you can track your progress. You can look at how much you’ve done and see exactly how much you still have left to do.
Making a daily task more specific usually makes it more measurable too.
If you turned, “Work on my novel” into the more specific, “Write 2000 words of my novel,” you know that, once you’ve written 1000 words, you’ll be halfway to reaching your goal.
Being able to “watch” yourself get closer to reaching a goal gives you a sense of progress. And a sense of progress is a motivation booster.
You can also break measurable tasks down into smaller chunks.
For example, maybe you find the idea of trying to write 2000 words all in one block a little daunting. So, instead, you decide to write 500 words in the morning, another 500 in the afternoon, and the remaining 1000 after dinner.
As you look at each task on your to-do list, ask yourself, “How will I know when I’m halfway done?” If you can’t answer that question, make the goal more measurable.
Step 3: Make Sure the Goal Attainable.
Making a goal specific and measurable does increase your chance of reaching that goal.
But if the goal isn’t also attainable, you could be setting yourself up for failure.
Say one of the tasks on your to-do list is, “Wash four loads of laundry.”
Sounds good. Even doable in the morning, when all is peaceful and calm.
But, as the day rolls along, things get busy, and you only manage three loads. And instead of celebrating the fact that you washed three whole loads of laundry, you focus on that one load that you didn’t get to. And, you guessed it, you feel like you failed.
Sometimes it’s better to make goals that feel almost too easy. Something you’re pretty sure you can get done (barring unforeseen circumstances) before bedtime. So, instead of setting a goal to wash four loads of laundry, set a goal to wash just two loads. Or maybe even one.
Consider lowering your expectations for each task on your to-do list. Even if, right now, you’re sure you can write 2000 words of your novel before bed, set a goal to write 1000 words instead. Reaching that goal will feel great. And you’ll motivated to write more tomorrow.
Step 4. Make the Goal Relevant.
You’re more likely to feel motivated to do something if you actually care about. If it matters to you.
So, when you add a task to your to-do list, ask yourself why you want to do it. Why does it matter?
Maybe you want to write 1000 words today because you want to finish your novel and realize your dream of being a professional fiction writer. Or you have an idea for a great story, and can’t wait to tell it.
You want to wash a load of laundry because you like having a tidy laundry room. Or you love the way freshly washed linen smells. Or you hate not having clean socks.
Thinking about why you want to do something can make you feel more motivated to do it.
Step 5. Make the Goal Time-Based
When talking about bigger goals, making them time-based usually means giving them a deadline. “I want to write a novel by June 1st,” for example.
But you know what the deadline on your daily goal is. You want to get it done by the end of the day.
Still, you can make a daily goal time-based by choosing a specific time to get started on it.
If you’re goal is to write 1000 words of your book, commit to starting at 6 pm.
Washing a load of laundry is a series of steps rather than something you can do all at once. But you can set a specific time to start each step. For example:
- Put the clothes in the washer before you leave for work.
- Move the load to the dryer when you get home from work.
- Fold the clean clothes after dinner.
Any task on your to-do list is more likely to get done if you pick a specific time to start.
Turning the tasks on your to-do list into SMART daily goals might sound like a lot of work. But you can make any task on your list SMARTer in just a minute or two.
In fact, why not try it now? Turn one of your to-dos into a goal that’s:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-Based
See? That didn’t take long, did it?
Now do the same with the rest of the tasks on your to-do list.
You’ll be surprised by how much more you get done when you make your to-do list SMARTer.
Have you tried turning some of your goals into SMART goals? If so, do you think it made those goals easier to reach?
