Each of us has certain aspirations. Some want to build a family one day.
Others want to advance professionally with an amazing career. Others want to develop one or more skills. Most likely, if you have a business, you want to lead it to success – under the conditions you propose for what success means.
Each of these aspirations is, in fact, a goal.
How do you make sure you achieve your goal or goals?
By setting them correctly and having consistency – that is, by sticking to them so that you move step by step towards them.
Today let’s talk a bit about how you set SMART goals, what they do for you, examples to draw from and the concept of SMARTER goals.
Are you ready?
Contents: What are SMART goals, examples and how to set them
What are SMART goals
Any goal, whether it’s a single one or an endless string, should be about achieving something important to you. That’s what makes it SMART.
The definition of SMART goals lies in the very letters of the acronym:
Specific
What do you want to get?
Clarity is power. So your goals should be clear, if you want them to be as attainable as possible.
Here’s an example of non-specific target: I want to make money.
In contrast, specific objective looks like this: I want to make €100,000 profit by next year from sales through my own online store.
Measurable
How do you know you got what you want?
A measurable goal is one that gives you the ability to break it down into actionable chunks that you can monitor so that you can see how you are progressing.
Here’s an example of non-measurable target: I want to create a course.
In contrast, measurable goal looks like this: I want to create a video lesson twice a week for my course for the next 3 months.
Actionable
Is it realistic to think you’ll get what you want?
Is your goal actionable and attainable?
When you set a goal, it’s important to figure out if you have the time, money, resources and energy to achieve it.
In other words, you can dream, but it’s important to be realistic.
Also, something that seems impossible to do now may be achievable in time if you do some clever planning. So be realistically optimistic about your goal.
Here’s an example of non-accessible target: I want to lose 25 kilos by tomorrow. (not realistic under any weather conditions).
In contrast, actionable goal looks like this: I want to lose 25 pounds in the next 3 months, working with a trainer.
What you need to take away from this is that a goal should be achievable, but also allow you to break it down into smaller, step-by-step, achievable actions.
Relevant
Is it reasonable to think you’ll get what you want?
Basically, it means being relevant to your vision. If your goal doesn’t contribute to the vision of the life you want to live, ask yourself if it’s worth working for.
Here’s an example for a irrelevant goal: You want to, say, become an entrepreneur and start your own business, to get out of the 9-5 program. In this case, it’s irrelevant that you want a promotion at work.
In contrast, relevant target looks like this: I want to have 100.000 euros budget by the end of the year (from income and credits if any), so I can get rid of my job and open my own business.
(at)Term
WHEN do you want to get what you set out to get?
Time-bound, in English. A good goal should have a deadline. If you don’t designate a deadline, you will find it hard to monitor yourself so that you can tell if you are on track towards your goal or not.
Here’s an example of objective that has no deadline: I want to finish writing this blog post.
In contrast, the goal at term looks like this: I want to finish writing this article by tomorrow, because I’m publishing it in the morning at 8:00.
Read also: How To Stay Dedicated To Your Goals
Why You Need SMART Goals
Life is full of distractions. No matter where you set goals, you need focus and strong motivation to keep working towards them.
Without setting goals, carefully and by following a SMART process, you won’t know precisely where you want to go, how to get there, and in how long.
You will continue to be distracted by other things. You won’t wake up in the morning with the motivation you need to move towards your goal and you won’t plan your efforts in the most appropriate way.
Because you don’t have a target to move towards, only a thought, a dream.
SMART goals are basically a procedure or process that gives you guidance to where you want to go so that you have the best chance of getting there.
Whether they are goals on a professional level, for your own business, or on a personal level, the SMART methodology will help you.
Read also: Business plan, from A to Z. How to start a business without making mistakes
Examples of SMART goals for different scenarios
SMART objectives in eCommerce:
- Specific – Maybe you want a certain volume of profit, or maybe you want to increase the number of orders for a certain product category, you want to increase the average cart value, increase the volume of traffic and conversions, or decrease the cart abandonment rate. Whatever your goal is, set a certain number or percentage and a time period in which you want to reach that goal.
- Measurable – Use KPIs (performance indicators) to see the numbers you already have (relative to your goal). Determine what numbers you want the KPIs to move towards, in the given time period.
- Actionable – Be realistic when setting your eCommerce goal, taking into account the resources you have. You may want to have €1 million in the first year of launching your store, but without money, employees, partners and other necessary opportunities, it’s not a very attainable goal. Rather, divide that goal into achievable chunks and work towards each one within a realistic timeframe.
- Relevant – Your objective must fit into the overall business strategy and be relevant to the company level. For example, if you aim to have 1 million landmarks in your store to reach 1 million profit in the first year, you might find yourself with more problems than you need to deal with. Most likely, this is not the best path to your goal.
- (the) Term – you can set a longer time frame for the overall business goal. But make sure you have smaller deadlines for smaller actions and goals, which will help you achieve your goal, on thresholds. Be persistent in the strategy you adopt.
When you want to set up an online store:
- Specific – I want to open an online store of [nisa]in the next 2 weeks.
- Measurable – I want to open an online store of [nisa]in the next 2 weeks, with a volume of 300 orders in the first 3 months.
- Actionable – I want to open an online store of [nisa]in the next 2 weeks, with a volume of 300 orders in the first 3 months, using Gomag.
- Relevant – I want to open an online shop of [nisa]in the next 2 weeks for [tip de audienta], with a volume of 300 orders in the first 3 months, using Gomag.
- (la) Term – I want to open an online store of [nisa]in the next 2 weeks for [tip de audienta], with a volume of 300 orders in the first 3 months, using Gomag.
When you already have a store, and you want to do a sales campaign:
- Specific – I want to do a discount campaign, with [x%] discount, for loyal customers, to increase the number of brand ambassadors.
- Measurable – I want to do a discount campaign, with [x%] discount, for loyal customers, to increase the number of brand ambassadors from X to Y.
- Actionable – I want to do a discount campaign, with [x%] discount, promoted via email, Social Media and remarketing, to loyal customers, to increase the number of brand ambassadors from X to Y.
- Relevant – I want to do a discount campaign, with [x%] discount, promoted via email, Social Media and remarketing, for loyal customers registered in A, B, C lists, to increase the number of brand ambassadors from X to Y.
- (la) Term – I want to do a discount campaign, with [x%] discount, for 2 weeks, promoted via email, Social Media and remarketing, for loyal customers registered in lists A, B, C, to increase the number of brand ambassadors from X to Y.
When you want to hire:
- Specific – I want to increase employment in 2023.
- Measurable – I want to increase employment to 70% in 2023.
- Actionable – I want to increase employment from 55% to 70% in 2023.
- Relevant – I want to increase the number of hires from 55% to 70% in 2023 to maximize hiring efficiency, reduce employee acquisition costs and hire exceptional people.
- (la) Deadline – I want to increase the number of hires from 55% to 70% from 2022 to 2023 to maximize hiring efficiency, reduce employee acquisition costs, and hire exceptional people.
You can look at any type of goal through the SMART methodology. We gave examples for eCommerce, because that is the topic of interest.
The idea is to answer each of the questions related to the letters of the acronym as completely as possible, in order to identify the process needed to achieve the goal.
Read also: How To Reach Your Financial Goals This Year
Why do we believe in SMARTER goals?
In addition to the 5 elements you should pay attention to when setting a goal, we think you should add 2 more. That way, the process is 100% complete and you can have consistency in your journey towards your goal.
Evaluable
As time goes by, it’s important to check if you’re on track with your goal. You may be setting an unrealistic goal without realizing it due to the changes happening around you.
Just look at how the pandemic has changed the market, economic instability or personal issues that affect you personally.
From time to time, it’s vital to go back to the point of setting goals and evaluate whether they are still healthy, challenging and yet attainable goals.
Rewarding
Always when you achieve a goal, reserve a little reward to make the experience worthwhile. Give yourself credit for your success. Go out, order yourself a fancier meal, celebrate.
This is a step many of us overlook because we’re too preoccupied with setting a next goal.
Enjoy what you have accomplished, because rewarding work can be repeated. That way you have the motivation to take the next step, towards other goals you set for yourself.
Read also: What not to forget before opening an online store
What do your goals look like? Or rather, how do you view them?
We confidently recommend the SMART methodology, which you can use to stay motivated, focused and optimistic on the road to your goals.
Again, it can be used for whatever you set a goal for and at any time. Add the 2 additional SMARTER goal items and enjoy increased efficiency and productivity.
Also, if you have any questions about our article or SMART goals in general, please leave us a comment and we’ll get back to you with an answer as soon as possible.
See you next time!
