SMART Goals : How to Achieve Your Projects?

Projects to hand in, group works to do or starting a business... Throughout the course of your studies and professional life, you will have many projects that require defining clear, precise, and attainable objectives. This is where the SMART method comes in handy: Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound. 

Smart Goals on an Ipad

Defining an efficient work method that can be adapted to any project is not an easy task. This is why The IGS Group recommends the SMART method, a method that will enable you to achieve all your projects more easily.

The 5 Features That Define a SMART Goal  

S for Specific 

The best way to accomplish a project is to break it down into several small objectives and storyboard all the steps. In order to achieve them, all these objectives must be well defined and understandable, even by a third person. 

For example, if you want to have a healthy life, this is a general goal. To create smart goals, you will need to define specific goals such as: controlling your diet, getting a good night's sleep, being physically active, and a whole bunch of other goals that will allow you to reach your goal. 

By making your goals specific, you will define a concrete road map. 

M for Measurable 

It is often difficult to evaluate progress if you don't measure it. At this stage, you should define the criteria that will allow you to evaluate your progress. 

Let's say you want to have a healthy life. You can decide to go to bed before midnight or to sleep 8 hours a night. Then you measure, for example, the number of nights you meet this goal. 

Testing is the best way to find the right measure. 

A for Achievable 

In order to stay motivated, you need to set goals that are ambitious enough, but also realistic. Nothing is more exciting than working on a project that motivates you and gives you a spark. But be careful not to set the bar too high or you may fail. 

Let's go back to our example: for a healthy life, you can start by running once a week. Once you achieve that goal and you feel that your body is adapting, you can start running 2 times then 3 times a week.  

T for Time-Bound  

Defining a specific goal and measuring it is important, but you also need to set a deadline. Setting a deadline creates a sense of urgency and requires you to take action.

Some Tips and Tricks 

  • Write down your goals clearly and concisely. 
  • Once you set these goals, find out how to measure your progress and adjust your goals based on your progress. 
  • Lowering your goals is not a failure, it is an adaptation of the original plan, and it is always a step forward. 
  • Keep track of how much time each of your activities takes, this will help you identify any inconsistencies. 
  • Split your goals over time so that you can accomplish them all simultaneously. 

 

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