The SMART objectives, which were developed in the eighties, are in summary a way to elaborate your goal according to five precise factors: Specific, Measurable, Ambitious, Realist, and Timely. Each first letters create the S.M.A.R.T. acronym. Are you ready to learn how you can achieve everything? Here are the steps to follow:
Specific: Be precise
To start with, it is very important to set you a target related to the work to achieve, although being simple and easy to understand. You need to focus on one element at the time in order to avoid scattering your efforts and then lose interest. Your next year project could be to increase the number of visitors on your blog or the sales of a specific product of your online shop for example. It would not be pertinent to aim for something else if your goal is related to your website.
Measurable: Look for numbers
Furthermore, to achieve your goal, it needs to be quantifiable in order to follow its evolution over time. If a goal cannot be measured, it is then difficult to say if it was successful or not, which can easily play on your motivation. Start with looking for data and then ask yourself what you want to improve. Thus, if we use our example above, your goal could be to have a 5% increase in the number of visitors on your blog.
Ambitious: It is a challenge
One of the ways you can make an objective more attractive is to set it as a challenge. Indeed, if a goal is too easy to achieve, it might discourage the participants. Do not be afraid to dare; it is sometimes because of interesting challenges that we can reach new highs or discover new opportunities. You never reached 100, 1000,10 000 visits on your website? Everybody needs to start somewhere.
Realist: Keep your feet on the ground
Even though it might be more inspiring to have an ambitious goal, you need to choose one that is possible and realist. A challenge too hard or nearly impossible can demotivate people too; a balance is necessary. You do not know where to draw the line between a too easy and a too challenging objective? Take time to analyze your statistics. How many visitors have been on your website this month? How many did it last month? Know how to use your best results in order to get inspiration and define a good goal.
Timely: There must be a beginning and an end
Finally, the last element you must consider in order to create an achievable objective is that it must be during a specific period of time. Avoid using timeframes like ‘’as soon as possible’’ or ‘’in few years’’; you need to be able to keep the deadline in mind. You can also do some weekly follow-ups to check your progress. Would you prefer to target a short period of time or would you prefer a longer one? The choice is yours.
In conclusion, the S.M.A.R.T. method (Specific, Measurable, Ambitious, Realist, and Timely) can help you create your own goals and achieve them whatever it is for your online shop, your website or your blog. Take time to check all your data and make sure you answer to all the elements above because it will increase your chances of success. Moreover, do not forget to follow regularly your progress and do not give up if things are not going as planned. The road might have more to teach you than the final destination. You need more inspiration to get through all of this? Read our article on how to be more creative.
WebSelf’s team is glad to help you achieve all your goals and wish you a wonderful holiday season!
