How to reframe your goals to create SMART goals you can achieve

Whilst coaching, more often than not, one finds that a substantial amount of individuals struggle to set the right goals. How’s that aligning for success?

Hence, through conversation and questioning, one checks, challenges and helps the coachee reframe their goals to end up with what we call a SMART goal. A goal that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.

Consider the common goal of wanting to lose weight. Stating that your goal is ‘to lose weight’ is not a SMART one. On the other hand, having your goal defined as, for example, ‘to lose four kilos in 90 days’ would tick the SMART criteria, and hence increases the chances of achieving that particular goal. Yet recently, I came across a great video post that showed that, beyond the setting of tangible goals, the key is that of creating positive habits which help us reach our goals more effectively and efficiently.

In nature, goals are intrinsically a project with a beginning and an end. External factors beyond our control can also affect whether we reach our goals or not. Goals can also limit what one achieves and create a sense of complacency.

On the other hand, focusing on creating positive habits that can increase the chances of success towards your goal has multiple benefits. There’s also the 21-day rule of repeating a task or action, in that after 21 days, we start transforming that task into a habit and hence in doing so re-wiring our brain. Habits are also easier to manage, focus on and carry out.

So, create your SMART goal but go beyond that by developing a number of positive habits that you can carry out and sustain, and which contribute towards achieving your goal. On the other hand, avoid or minimise habits that work against your goal.

One tip; start small. Once these small habits become ingrained, you can start upping your game. This quote by Chales C. Nobel sums it up nicely: “First we make our habits, then our habits make us.”