Are you looking for ways to improve your communication skills, become more mindful, or build stronger relationships? If so, you may have heard of the SMART goal framework. This popular tool is often used to set and achieve specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound objectives. However, SMART goals may not be the best fit for qualitative goals, which are often more abstract and difficult to quantify. At Rudder4Life, we encourage young adults to become the best versions of themselves by setting SMART goals, but we may have become SMART-ish in our approach!
In her book How to Set Achievable Goals, author Hobart explains why the SMART framework isn’t always suitable for qualitative goals. While it can be effective for certain types of goals, it may not provide the flexibility and adaptability needed to achieve success in areas like personal growth and relationship building.
Suppose you’re looking to improve your communication, mindfulness, or relationships. In that case, it’s important to find a goal-setting approach that works for you. This may involve setting broader, more general goals and focusing on making small but consistent improvements over time. With the right mindset and approach, you can achieve meaningful progress and lasting success in any area of your life.
In order to understand why the SMART framework isn’t appropriate for qualitative goals, it’s helpful to look at the four brain structures that are involved in goal achievement. These structures are:
- The prefrontal cortex is responsible for planning, decision-making, and self-control.
- The basal ganglia are involved in habit formation and procedural memory.
- The limbic system is responsible for emotions, motivation, and reward processing.
- The brainstem is responsible for basic survival functions, such as breathing and heart rate.
When we set a goal, these four structures work together to help us achieve it. However, they can also work against one another, leading to procrastination, distraction, and other obstacles to success. For example, the limbic system may prioritise short-term pleasure over long-term goals, or the basal ganglia may rely on old habits rather than forming new ones. So, these structures can compete and derail your efforts to achieve a goal in various ways, such as:
- Prefrontal cortex vs. limbic system: This where planning, decision-making, and self-control battles with emotions, motivation, and reward processing. When you set a goal, the limbic system may prioritise short-term pleasure over long-term goals, leading to procrastination or distraction. For example, you may want to eat healthy foods, but the limbic system may prioritise the pleasure of eating unhealthy foods, leading to a derailment of your goal.
- Basal ganglia vs. prefrontal cortex: This is where habit formation and procedural memory fights planning and decision-making. When you set a goal, the basal ganglia may rely on old habits rather than forming new ones, leading to a derailment of your goal. For example, you may want to exercise regularly, but the basal ganglia may prioritise the habit of watching TV instead..
- Brainstem vs. prefrontal cortex: here basic survival functions wrestles planning and decision-making. When you set a goal, the brainstem may prioritise survival functions over long-term goals, causing goal failure. For example, you may want to get enough sleep, but the brainstem may prioritise the need for food, water or urinating.
- Prefrontal cortex vs. basal ganglia: Here planning and decision-making is competing habit formation and procedural memory. When you set a goal, the prefrontal cortex may struggle to form new habits or plans, leading to a derailment of your goal. For example, you may want to learn a new skill, but the basal ganglia may prioritise old habits, leading to a derailment of your goal.
These examples illustrate how the four brain structures can compete and derail your efforts to achieve a goal. Understanding these dynamics allows taking appropriate steps to manage them and increase your chances of success.
To overcome these challenges, Hobart suggests setting “SMART-ish” goals, which are goals that are inspired by the SMART framework but are more flexible and adaptable to qualitative objectives. “SMART-ish” goals are:
- Specific: Define your goal in clear and specific terms.
- Measurable: Find a way to measure your progress, even if it’s not quantifiable.
- Action-oriented: Focus on the actions you need to take to achieve your goal rather than the outcome.
- Relevant: Ensure that your goal aligns with your values and priorities.
- Time-bound: Set a deadline for your goal, even if it’s flexible.
For example, instead of setting a SMART goal to “improve communication skills by speaking to 5 people per day,” a “SMART-ish” goal might be to “practice active listening in conversations and seek feedback from others on my communication skills.”
To maintain momentum and achieve your “SMART-ish” goals, Hobart recommends taking small actions that affirm your desired identity, noticing your progress, and savouring small wins. This can help to build confidence and motivation and can also help to overcome obstacles and setbacks.
Adopting a “SMART-ish” approach to goal-setting can effectively pursue both quantitative and qualitative goals. While the SMART framework is a valuable tool for achieving specific, measurable, and time-bound objectives, it may not always be appropriate for qualitative goals. By focusing on actions and progress rather than outcomes and deadlines, we can build the skills and habits that will help us succeed in all areas of our lives. So don’t be afraid to set ambitious goals – by taking a SMART-ish approach, you can make progress towards achieving them and become the best version of yourself! We at Rudder4Life will definitely make this SMART-ish adjustment when promoting planning as a means for well-being, happiness and success. A GOOD READ!