“Choosing goals that are important to you is one of the most essential things you can do to live your dreams.” Les Brown, 1945 American Speaker Author Trainer Motivator Lecturer

You may have heard of SMART goals, which are often used in a job performance review, but these are SMERTIE goals that will benefit you by being more resonant to you personally.

SMERTIE goals use positive language and are written in the present tense to be vibrant and resonant. Your goals should be about what you want, not what you don’t want.

For example, it is November 2009 and I am in control of my finances. I pay an extra £150 towards my mortgage each month and also save £100 each month for my dream vacation to Australia next year. I am in control of my spending and pay my credit card bill in full every month.

Specific

Measurable

Obvious

Explicable

timed

inspiring

emotional

What is meant by “Specific”?

The objective you write down should be easily understood by anyone who reads it. If you write your goal as “I want to get a new job and make a lot of money,” there are a number of questions we need to ask to understand specifically what your goal really is. If you write “I have a new job as a business development manager for a company in London that pays me £35,000 a year with a ten per cent bonus at the end of the year”, there is an energy and emotional pull around the goal that will boost it. to work towards it.

What is meant by “measurable”?

You must be able to measure the extent to which you complete your goal. When you’re unsure of your future, it’s easier to procrastinate and approach the future fearful of the direction it might take. If you consider the goal “I want to get a new job and earn a lot of money”, there is no plan or indication of the level of success that you value that allows you to define a measure. If your goal contains a measure of success that you value, you will be more confident and the goal will be more attractive for you to complete.

What is meant by “Test”?

There must be evidence available to indicate that you have completed the goal. If you want to earn a salary of £35,000 a year and accept a new job at this salary or higher, there is tangible evidence that you have completed the goal. Goals are there to be completed, they are finite and indicate the completion of something you want at that time in your life. When you’ve completed the goal and have evidence that it’s complete, you’re ready for the next goal!

What is meant by “Responsible”?

Coaching empowers people to accept responsibility for their lives. There is a correlation between the amount of responsibility you accept in your life and the amount of success you achieve. When you write your goals, you should consider the extent to which you accept responsibility for the consequences of your decisions and actions and give that responsibility to someone else.

What is meant by “time-based”?

You need to set a time frame in which you want to work towards your goal. Without a time frame, it is very easy for the goal to slip and not be completed. Initially, you should consider setting goals that you can achieve within 6-12 months.

What is meant by “inspiring”?

If you set a goal that is inspiring, that is aligned with your values ​​and beliefs, and that is true to who you are, you will find that you really want to achieve it. When you’ve written down your goal, ask yourself “how compelling is the goal?” If you think it’s a 9 or 10 you’ll be really inspired to do it.

What is meant by “emotional”?

Human beings are driven by the desire to gain pleasure and avoid pain. If you have an emotional attachment to something, you will set in motion a plan that will lead you to what you want. When you write your goal, consider the emotional gain or pleasure that your goal will bring you: the greater the emotional gain, the stronger the conviction of achieving the goal.

Your goals

Is it time to start thinking about SMERTIE goals for your life that will bring you happiness and balance? Once you’ve written them down, commit to taking positive actions that will move you toward achieving your goals. To make sure you stay on track to achieve your goals, you need to review them every day. When you achieve your initial goals, it will be exciting and empowering, and you can use these positive feelings to achieve even more success – set new goals!

To learn more about goal setting, download the free Top Goal Setting Strategies eBook