The Minimalist Guide to SMART Goals
You may have heard of SMART goals before.
SMART is most commonly defined as specific, measurable, attainable, realistic or relevant, and timely.
This is a great method for setting everyday goals, but I have modified this acronym and redefined what it means to be SMART.
This minimalist approach to goal setting is all about focusing in on the vision you have for your life.
I’ve also included some general tips and a worksheet to help you plan out your SMART goals. Let’s get started.
S is for Simple.
Minimalism is about simplification in every area of your life and goal setting is no different. Once you know what you want to achieve, you have to refine it.
Do not over analyze what you plan to accomplish, rather, make your goal as simple as possible without losing its purpose.
Ask yourself: Have you reduced your goal down to its essence? Can you state it clearly in one sentence?
M means Meaningful.
Minimalism is not only about simplification and reducing the amount of clutter. It’s also about only pursuing the things that give purpose to your life.
You will achieve your goals more often if you’re committed to them and they add meaning to your life.
Ask yourself: Why are you pursuing this goal? What is its intellectual, emotional and spiritual significance?
A is for Aligned with your values.
Similar to understanding the meaning of your goals, you must also determine if they line up with your core values. Minimalists set goals within their values framework.
One sure way to fail at meeting your goals is to pursue things not aligned with your morals and standards because you will come up against irreconcilable conflicts and obstacles.
Ask yourself: What are your values? Does this goal relate to your values?
R asks if it is Relevant to the big picture.
Another principle of minimalism is having or doing only what is necessary. In order to do this, you must know the vision for your life.
This is important to establish before you set any goals. A good planner knows to start with the end in mine.
Imagine yourself five years from now. What would you like to accomplish?
Ask yourself: What is your big picture? How is this goal moving you toward it?
T translates as Transformable.
Life happens. The true test of a strong person is being able to meet obstacles head on and thrive.
To do that, you must be adaptable and creative. Similarly, your goals should also be strong yet flexible.
You should be able to adapt your goal without losing its essence. Pursuing minimalism leaves lots of room for transformation because you’re not stuck in your “stuff”.
Ask yourself: If circumstances change in the course of pursuing this goal, can it evolve? Is it flexible?
Here are a few more pointers for setting SMART goals.
Minimalist Tips for Goal Setting
1. Select a theme- What is the overarching theme for the year? What is it you want to achieve? Why is this important?
2. Set a few SMART Goals relating to that theme. Write these goals down. State each goal within one sentence.
3. Start with the goal that is easiest to achieve and create an action plan. Pick three concrete actions for each goal. Go down the path of least resistance. Think of actions you can complete immediately with little effort. This will build up your confidence and at the end of the day, it is still moving you forward.
4. Forgiveness- You may not reach your goal or it may take longer than you planned, but don’t beat yourself up for it. If you fail to achieve your goal, you’re already living the consequences. Forgive yourself, evaluate what went wrong, and start again.
Did you create your digital vision board of your big picture (remember R is for relevant to the big picture)? If so, you are ready to move forward with setting SMART goals.
What is one of your SMART goals for the year?
Creativepreneurs: Roniqua and Ronaisha Smith
Roniqua and Ronaisha Smith are two sisters who form Random As Ever.
These two young dream hustlers are my nieces. (I know, right.)
Roniqua and Ronaisha Smith have been singing since forever and became serious about their aspirations to form a group around 13 and 14 years of age. They are currently 17 and 18 years old respectively.
They describe their sound as R&B, laced with soul, and smoothed out with a bit of interesting.
I admire them for their commitment to their craft and not being afraid of going after their dreams at such a young age.
Watch RAE's interview and leave some encouragement below in the comments for these young women making their mark in the world.
Here are some inspirational nuggets and tips from Roniqua and Ronaisha's interview.
- On passion: "If you can't go a day without something, it's meant to be in your life". Examine your habits. What is it you want to do everyday for the rest of your life?
- Make stuff that people can groove and relate to. Roniqua and Ronaisha make music about love, relationships, and life.
- A morning routine is important. The sisters pray, read scripture, eat an appropriate breakfast, and workout. They also keep their priorities straight by staying on top of their school work. Watch my video on how to simplify your mornings.
- On passion again: "Whatever it is, go hard." Give your dreams and goals your all.
- Always be ready. The girls discussed how they had to prepare themselves for people asking them to sing on the spot.
- Failure is an opportunity to come back harder and stronger. Don't let failure get you down.
- DIY to save money.They talked about how they purchased their own recording equipment and learned to make their own beats so they wouldn't have to rely on the expense of going to a studio.
- Stay optimistic. Don't speak negativity into existence.
- "Keep chasing your dream so hard, you ache at night." Sound advice.
Connect with Roniqua and Ronaisha Smith a.k.a. Random As Ever a.k.a. RAE.
Check out more interviews.
Creativepreneurs: Renata Burns
Meet Renata Burns, chief designer and founder of fashion and interior design company, Renata Philippe.
How do you write a love post about a friend?
That is my task this week with the first installment of our interview series.
What has persisted over the years, from our days at Greensboro Elementary to the University of Delaware and beyond, is that Renata is one of the most creative and quirky people I know and that’s what I love about her. I can always count on her for out-of-the-box ideas or off-the-cuff remarks and she is definitely a “ride or die” chick. Renata is also kind and generous and I was known to sleep on her couch regularly when she lived in Philly.
I am proud to call her my friend and present a piece of her story to you. I say a piece because I could not include everything she discussed in this interview and her story is still being written as we speak.
I hope her tenacity inspires you.
Some quick fun facts about Renata:
- She's an army brat, but for the last 20+ years, we've claimed her as a native of the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
- Received her B.S. in Apparel Design from the University of Delaware and M.S. in Marketing from Wilmington University.
- Studied abroad in Paris, France and Barcelona, Spain. She also traveled extensively during her military career.
- Self-proclaimed geek, cornball, and observer.
- Recently got married, hence the Philippe (congrats Renata!).
- Her design aesthetic references Swedish and African influences.
I also pulled some inspirational nuggets and tips from Renata's interview for your reading pleasure.
- It's possible to fall in and out of love with your dream, but in the end, you always return to the source of it.
- The key to maintaining good relationships is communication. Also, the key to making sure other people's dreams and goals don't come before yours is, you guessed it, communication. Communicate your dreams and goals to the important people in your life.
- Desire healthy competition. Interact with those who encourage you and push you to do better.
- When you live your dream, you inspire others to do the same.
- The key to leading a good life is having a clear vision and goal you want to conquer. (Read The Minimalist Guide to Setting SMART Goals)
- A parting thought and quote, "Feed the seed that is you".
Renata is a wise woman and I'm honored to call her my friend.
Connect with Renata Burns
Comment below with your take-away from Renata's interview.
Check out more interviews.
Creativepreneurs: Jason Edwards
Jason Edwards is the owner of Edward's All Star Barber Shop in Denton on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
He recently opened a second shop, Edward's Classic Barber Shop in the same town. Watch and listen as Jason discusses entrepreneurship, community, goal setting, and how he opened his shop in 30 days.
Here are some inspirational nuggets and tips from Jason's interview.
- When working for someone else, you will never be able to please everyone or achieve what you want. Jason realized that he had a skill, cutting hair, that he transitioned from part-time to a full-time business.
- You will hustle non-stop. Building a business requires long hours and sacrificing sleep and your social life.
- It's important to mentally prepare yourself for each day. Jason talked about how he never knows who will walk through his doors or when he will get a break. He recommends getting your mind right and eating a good breakfast before starting the day. Renata Burns also spoke about doing her daily devotional and meditating before starting her creative work.
- You must constantly self-evaluate and be willing to make changes. At the end of everyday, you should ask yourself what you can do to improve your business tomorrow.
- Use your faith to sustain you. The bible scripture posted on the barber shop wall is a constant reminder to keep going.
- Giving to others is important to your success. This wasn't included in the interview, but Jason discussed his work in the community and the importance of being a role model.
- Set your goals. Write them down. Have a plan and stick to it. Goal setting is a non-negotiable in following your dreams. You must know what you're working towards.
- It takes money to make money. Have a financial plan and invest back into your business and you gain profits.
- Don't limit your self. Jason said he did not want a black barber shop, he wanted a community shop. Go beyond what is expected of you.
Connect with Jason Edwards:
Check out more interviews.