SMART: Objective definition

SMART: Objective definition, why is it essential?

🔥 Introduction

Setting goals is essential for getting ahead in life, whether in a professional or personal context. Yet many people find it difficult to achieve their goals because they are ill-defined, too vague or unrealistic.

The SMART method: Objective Definition helps to structure an objective to make it clearer, measurable and achievable.

It is particularly fundamental in the coaching profession, whether as a life coach, sports coach or professional coach.

Coaches help their clients to achieve their aspirations by guiding them towards well-defined, achievable goals.

Without a structured method like SMART, coaching risks being ineffective because it lacks a framework and precise monitoring. By using SMART, the coach enables his clients to better visualise their progress, adjust their actions and maximise their chances of success.

In this article, we'll look at what a SMART goal is, how to define it correctly, why it's so effective, and how to apply it both in the world of work and in everyday life. We'll also look at the difficulties faced by beginners and how to overcome them.

📜 The origin of the SMART method

The SMART method was introduced in 1981 by George T. Dorana management consultant, in an article entitled "There's a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management's Goals and Objectives". published in Management Review. Its aim was to help companies and managers to better formulate their objectives in an effective and structured way.

The acronym SMART was designed to guide the setting of objectives so that they are more precise, measurable and achievable. Since then, this approach has become a benchmark in many fields, including coaching, personal development and business management.

🧠 1. What is a SMART objective?

✅ Clear and simple definition

A SMART objective is a method of structuring an objective to make it effective. SMART is an acronym that stands for :

• Sspecific
• Mesurable
• Ambitious (or Attainable depending on the context)
• Réaliste
• Temporel

✅ Why is this method effective?

• Helps avoid vague objectives.
• Makes the objective clearer and more achievable.
• Makes it easier to monitor and adjust actions.

  Did you know that guided missiles never follow a perfectly straight trajectory towards their target? In fact, they spend their time correcting small errors in trajectory by constantly adjusting their direction. At every moment, they recalculate their position and make slight corrections until they reach their target with precision.

  It's exactly the same principle in action management: following an initial plan is important, but it's the regular adjustments that guarantee success. Facilitating the monitoring and adjustment of actions means ensuring that you stay on track, despite unforeseen circumstances, to achieve your goal effectively.

🎯 2. How do you define a SMART objective?

Detailed explanation of each criterion with concrete examples:

✅ S as in Specific

• An objective must be clear and precise.
• ❌ Bad example: "I want to improve my English."
• ✅ Good example: "I want to achieve a B2 level in English to better communicate with my international clients."

🔹 M as in Measurable

• It must be quantifiable so that progress can be monitored.
• ❌ Bad example: "I want to be in better shape."
• ✅ Good example: "I want to run 10 km in 50 minutes in 3 months' time."

✅ A for Attainable

• Must be ambitious but realistic.
• ❌ Bad example: "I want to become bilingual in 2 weeks."
• ✅ Good example: "I want to learn 10 new English words a day."

🔹 R for Realistic

• Must take account of available resources.
• ❌ Bad example: "I want to read 5 books a week when I work 60h/week."
• ✅ Good example: "I want to read one book a month, setting myself 30 minutes of reading a day."

✅ T for Temporal

• Must have a deadline to avoid procrastination.
• ❌ Bad example: "I want to get back into sport."
• ✅ Good example: "I want to join a gym and do 3 sessions a week for 6 months."

😟 3. Beginners' difficulties in applying the SMART method

✅ Objectives too vague

• Many find it difficult to formulate clear objectives.
• Example: "I want to succeed in my career." → Too vague.

🔹 Lack of realism

• The targets set are sometimes too ambitious.
• Example: "I want to lose 15 kg in a month." → Not sustainable or healthy.
  So yes, some people will tell me that it is possible and healthy to Juvenile and they will be right, but not for everyone and it will depend on your starting weight (if you weigh 125 kg it will be more achievable than if you weigh 75), your experience in Juvenile (if it is your first: complicated), medical monitoring etc ...

✅ Difficulty setting a deadline

• Without a deadline, the action is postponed.
• Example: "I want to learn to code." → When and how?

🔹 No follow-up

• Without monitoring, it's difficult to adjust your actions.
• Example: "I want to save €5,000." → Without monitoring, you don't know where you stand.

🛠️ 4. How can these difficulties be overcome?

✅ Setting progressive targets

• Start small and build up gradually.
• Example: 30 minutes of sport a week before doing it every day.

🔹 Use tracking

• Apps such as Notion, Habitica, Google Sheets.
• Example: record your progress each week on a diet or savings plan.

✅ Setting reasonable deadlines

• Break an objective down into realistic stages.
• Example: "Read one book a month" instead of "read 50 books this year".

🔹 Surround yourself with support

• Find a coach, mentor or motivational group.
  Sometimes it's very complicated to define several goals and then have to face them alone, and in those cases I personally like to surround myself with people.
• Example: join a book club to motivate yourself to read.
  If I go back to the example of fasting mentioned above, I've sometimes done it alone at home, but I've also spent a week in a specific setting because, with my family around, I didn't have the faith.
  This also adds an obligation when you have set a date and paid for the course.

🔄 5. What should you do after achieving a goal?

🔹 Maintain routine speed

Achieving a goal is an achievement, but it is essential to maintain a suitable routine so as not to lose the benefits gained.

• Example: After losing 5 kg, reduce the frequency of your exercise sessions but maintain them as part of your maintenance programme.
• Example: Once you've got into a 30-minute reading routine, stick with it rather than falling back into the time spent on social networking.

🔹 Set a new progressive target

• Once an objective has been reached, it is advisable to set another to maintain the momentum and continue to progress (cumulative effect).
  As my psychology teacher at university used to say:

  "As soon as you stop progressing, you regress".

⏳ 6. How do you find time for your goals?

You can read this article in order to benefit from a game changer that helps me enormously personally.

🔹 Identifying and reducing wasted time

• Use applications such as "RescueTime" or "Screen Time" to track your screen time.
• Example: Realising that you spend 3 hours a day on social networks.

🔹 Structuring your time slots

• Schedule time for important tasks rather than being constantly distracted.
• Example: Checking your emails only twice a day instead of checking and replying to them continuously.

🏢 7. SMART objectives at work

• 🔹 Productivity Reduce email response time from 24 hours to 6 hours in 2 months.
• 🔹 Management Training 5 employees to use a tool in 3 months.
• 🔹 Entrepreneurship To increase sales by 15% within 3 months.
  Manager GO!: 10 examples of SMART objectives with commentary
  Practical examples to help you understand and apply the SMART method.
  
  manager-go.com

🏡 8. Personal SMART goals

• 🔹 Health "Lose 5 kg in 3 months by cutting down on sugar and walking for 30 minutes a day".
• 🔹 Learning Read 6 books in 6 months for 30 minutes a day.
• 🔹 Time management Reducing my screen time by 20% in 2 months.

✨ Conclusion

The SMART method is a powerful tool for structuring your ambitions and achieving them.

By avoiding classic mistakes and adopting a progressive approach, you increase your chances of success.

However, it is essential not to set yourself too many objectives at the same time.

Overloading yourself can lead to time problems, a feeling of being bored or even lost.

Prioritising your objectives and taking things one step at a time is the key to maintaining motivation and maximising your chances of success.

What are your SMART goals? Share your experience in the comments! 🚀

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