One of the most common pieces of advice is that you must set goals to succeed. This doesn’t only apply to your personal development, but also to your work and business endeavors. This is where a SMART goals template will prove to be an invaluable tool for you.
In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about SMART goals and how you can use a SMART objectives template to make your dreams come true. Keep reading!
What Are SMART Goals
The first step to understanding why you need to find a SMART goals template is to understand what these goals are all about. In reality, SMART is an acronym with every letter standing for something different. These attributes will help you later evaluate your goals and find ways to improve your strategies.
Below, we will analyze the acronym so that you know what you are doing with a SMART objectives template.
S – Specific
The first thing that will make your goals effective is how specific they are. This means that you should aim for goals that specifically state why you need to achieve them. Moreover, you should also know who is going to be a part of the process, where you need to go to achieve them, and when you are going to work on them. By answering all these questions, you will no longer have any abstract goals that you don’t know what to do to make them come true. And these are the goals that you should include in your SMART goals.
M – Measurable
Another important aspect of your goals is their measurability. This means that you should set a specific metric that will show you whether you have met your goal or you have failed. For example, if you have an e-shop, a measurable goal is to increase your sales by 20% within the following semester. When this period ends, you will be able to compare the number and figure out whether you have been successful in your growth.
A – Achievable
One more thing that you need to consider when filling out your SMART objectives is whether your goals are achievable. This means that you have all the resources you will need to make them happen. Let’s return to our previous example of the e-shop. Your goal shouldn’t be to go from 10 to 1.000.000 sales, but rather from 10 to 100. Then, the following goal is to go from 100 to 1.000, and so on.
R – Relevant
Your goals should also be relevant to your vision. This ensures that you will invest your time and efforts toward actions that will bring you closer to what you’ve written in your SMART goals.
T – Timely
Finally, if you want to make your goals SMART, then you have to make sure that they are timely. This means that you should always name a specific period to achieve it. In the previous example, we mentioned that your goal should be to increase your sales by 20% in the following semester. This gives you six months to work on that goal.
Why Do You Need a SMART Goals Template
As you may already realize, using a SMART objectives template comes with many benefits. Even though writing these goals down might seem like a challenging and time-consuming process, it will prove to be very effective. Namely, the positives for using a SMART goals template are the following:
- You have all the steps to achieve your goals in front of you – a SMART objectives template is the perfect place to write down your goals and analyze the steps that will help you actually make them come true. In essence, it works as a roadmap for your goals.
- It boosts communication between team members – if you are setting your SMART goals for your business, then there is a high chance that you have to communicate them with your team members or employees. Therefore, a SMART goals template allows you to lay them down somewhere, where everyone can refer to them.
- You can evaluate the success of your endeavors – as we’ve already explained, SMART goals need to be measurable. Therefore, you will have specific metrics at hand that inform you how well you’ve done or not.
Fortunately, the online diagram maker Boardmix provides you various ready-make templates so that you can create your own SMART goals in several minutes!
How to Set Your SMART Goals
Another thing that you might be wondering is how to start filling your SMART objectives template with your goals. The best way to set your goals is to follow some simple steps in Boardmix. In this tool, you will find a SMART goals template that you can immediately use to start expanding on your abstract ideas.
The steps for setting your SMART goals are the following:
- Step 1 – Identify your goal. The first thing you need to do before writing anything on your SMART goals template is to express what you want to achieve as clearly as possible.
- Step 2 – Add the specifics. The next thing is to fill in all the missing information to make your goal as specific as possible.
- Step 3 – Decide on a metric. Since your SMART goal needs to be measurable, you have to decide which metric you are going to measure.
- Step 4 – Question whether your goal is achievable. Anything that you put down on your SMART objectives template should be challenging, yet achievable.
- Step 5 – Make your goal relevant. You should always be working towards a particular vision. Therefore, try to make your goal something that will bring you closer to your long-term desires.
- Step 6 – Add a specific time frame. The final step to complete your SMART goals is to specify a time period. Then, at the end of that period, you can evaluate your success.
SMART Goals Templates (with Examples)
In Boardmix, you have a user-friendly SMART objectives template waiting for you. Now, it’s time to see some actual examples that will help you understand what they need to look like.
4.1 SMART Goals Template for Work
When it comes to work, one of your goals might be to expand your network and find potential new clients. In this case, your SMART goal should look like this:
- S – I want to find and connect with more industry professionals, so I’m going to join relevant social media groups and attend industry events.
- M – I need to make more new industry connections compared to the previous year.
- A – I must keep the communication going on. I’m going to hand out my business card to them at the industry events and then reach out to them through emails and social media posts.
- R – My presence in these events and social media circles will make my name more recognizable.
- T – I want to make these new connections by the end of this year.
4.2 SMART Goals Template for Business
If the SMART objectives template is for your business, then the goal might be to increase your sales. This SMART goal will look like this:
- S – I want to increase the sales of my company.
- M – I want the sales of my company to be 20% up compared to the previous three months.
- A – To do that, I have to invest more effort in marketing through social media.
- R – The data I have gathered shows that my target group is searching for products like mine on social media.
- T – I want to achieve an increase in my sales in the following three months.
4.3 SMART Goals Template for Marketing
When it comes to marketing, a SMART goal might look like this:
- S – I want to increase the traffic to my website.
- M – I want my traffic to go up by 30%.
- A – Driving more traffic to the website will also increase my ad revenue and e-shop sales.
- R – I saw a spike in traffic when I was posting about this topic. So, I should focus on posting more about this.
- T – I want to achieve this in four months.
4.4 SMART Goals Template for Study
If you are a student, then you might simply want to improve your performance. In this case, your SMART goal should look like this:
- S – I want to improve my grades.
- M – My following essays should get a grade of at least A-.
- A – I have already studied the curriculum on this topic, so it should be easy to create an outline for my essay.
- R – This grade will help me get to the top of my class and improve my chances of getting into the college I want.
- T – I need to complete the essay in 10 days.
4.5 SMART Goals Template for Self-improvement
The last example of a SMART objectives template is for self-improvement, such as learning a new language. In this instance, the SMART goal will become like this:
- S – I want to learn French.
- M – I want to study 30 minutes more every day.
- A – I have enough free time in my evenings to study French.
- R – By learning French, I can apply for that exchange students’ program.
- T – I want to have a basic understanding of the language in the following six months.
Wrapping Up
Now you know why a SMART goals template is such an invaluable tool. Create your Boardmix account today to gain access to its templates and start creating your own SMART goals! BTW, there are many other templates for you to explore!
