Making the SMART Method Less Dumb

The Remedy for Fixing the World’s Most Popular “Goal-setting” Method

I attribute the success of the “SMART Method” of Goal Definition to its catchy name, not to its effectiveness. In fact, as it’s currently practiced, I think it’s fatally flawed.

Let me explain the method, its flaws, and how it can be remedied.

According to the SMART Method, goals ought to have five characteristics. Goals should be:

• Specific;
• Measurable;
• Achievable (or Ambitious);
• Reasonable; and
• Time-bound

(S)pecific

The Good

If you don’t make some decisions up-front about what your goal is, and what it is not, you won’t know where you’re heading.

Here are some examples:

• The goal “self-publish a book” is within my control and seems tractable, but more work remains. There are infinite types of books one can write. Fiction, nonfiction, something in the middle. Hundreds of genres. Any imaginable topic. “Self -publish a fantasy novel” is specific.
• “Learn the ten most important Calculus theorems” is far better than “Get better at the GRE…