A (pointless) argument against SMART goals
I have to confess up front: it’s a Monday morning, I’m shattered, and as a result I’m picking an argument for the sake of it. But, here me out - I genuinely think SMART goals aren’t quite as beneficial as they’re made out to be.
(Or, to be more precise/less confrontational, I don’t think most people are in the right headspace to use them without a ton of guidance).
For the uninitiated: SMART is an acronym for the most well-known goal setting technique in existence. A quick Google informed me that it was first coined in 1981 by a consultant named George T. Doran, but it’s become so ubiquitous that it’s hard to imagine it’s only 40-odd years old. SMART goals are, by definition:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable (or Assignable)
Relevant (or Realistic)
Time-bound
It’s hard to argue against the weight of scientific evidence backing the use of intelligent goal-setting as a means of getting stuff done, so if you’re going to set goals it probably makes sense to craft them using the SMART format.
Right?
Here’s my counter argument…
Issue 1: SMART goals don’t encourage learning by doing
It’s a fact that we humans don’t want to achieve by trial and error. Failure hurts. We’d rather protect our ego by never failing, which we try to do through:
Setting the bar too low, in order to get a dopamine hit for something relatively meaningless
Procrastinating, and never actually starting
Perfectionism, i.e. making the goal so unattainable and unrealistic that we never fully commit, thereby giving us an excuse to fail
Of course any goal, whether SMART or not, comes with the inherent risk of failure (and subsequent ego-bashing effects). However, unfulfilled SMART goals hurt our egos more, because the emphasis is on ‘realistic’ and ‘achievable’ outcomes. Your brain is likely to interpret this to mean “I shouldn’t fail at this task”.
So what? ‘Failure’ is demonised. This encourages a risk-averse mindset with regard to our goals, which is barking mad. We can’t expect to succeed far more than we fail if we’re truly striving for greatness - or anything above mediocrity, to be blunt.
Most of us can’t trust our brains to interpret ‘achievable’ as it’s intended: a challenging goal with an inherent risk of failure, but one that is technically possible with the right mindset and behaviours. By setting the bar too low, we don’t really achieve anything - and, crucially, we don’t learn and grow as a result.
The alternative? Take ‘achievable’ with an enormous pinch of salt. Ensure your main goals, the ones that really matter to you, tie your stomach in knots. A 20% estimated success rate for the big ones is probably the right ballpark of difficulty. Then, and only then, should you work backwards and craft interim goals with a higher estimated success rate. Remember that failure is only your subjective interpretation of events: if and when you fall short of your goal then embrace the feedback this provides, absorb the learnings, and go again as a better person for the experience.
Health warning: this recommendation comes with the understanding that you’re actively looking to address any of your limiting beliefs that could encourage acts of self-sabotage. I know a coach who’s quite good at helping with these ;-)
Issue 2: SMART goals don’t make you question your ‘why’
This next statement might shock you, or sound plain wrong. But if that’s the case, you’re using goals in an unhealthy way:
Goals are not the things that give your life direction. They’re useful orienteering checkpoints that help your structure a daily process of committed action towards ‘something’. But it’s your values that give your life direction, meaning and purpose.
When we select goals that align with our values, we free ourselves from the shackles of feeling like we ‘need’ to succeed. Why? Because the outcome is a nice-to-have, the cherry on top. The journey is where all the fun is.
Remember: if you’re intrinsically motivated by a goal (i.e. you get a kick from the process more than the outcome), countless studies have proven that you’re more likely to persist, achieve greater outcomes, and respond better to (inevitable) failure than your extrinsically motivated peers.
My recommendation is to get clear on your values, and re-baseline them periodically, to ensure you’re crafting goals that chime with who you are, who you want to be, and what matters to you. Again, a good coach should be able to help you here…
Issue 3: specificity is overrated
Beautifully crafted SMART goals tend to all be about the big, scary things in your life. This distracts us from realising that goal-setting can be hugely beneficial for the small things too.
My suggestion: if you want to get good at chasing your dreams, you need lightweight goals that have the quality of ‘just because’.
A small, inconsequential goal is great way to have fun practicing committed action when your mind is giving you reasons not to continue. If you can build mental resilience patterns when there is no consequence for success or failure, you can absolutely do it when your values are on the line. Who knows, your ‘just because’ goal might awaken something in you that becomes your life’s passion a few years down the road…
This comes with another caveat: your mind will almost certainly try to turn your ‘just because’ goal into the BIG IMPORTANT THING in your life. Retain an element of playfulness, embrace failure and the learnings it brings, and practice recommitting 100% when you slip up.
Disclaimer
Arguing the merits of SMART goals is all a bit arbitrary and silly. It’s a great tool, when used properly. But my points above still stand: goals are misused by even the highest of achievers, leading to underperformance and mental anguish. Remember:
Be bold and embrace the growth that comes from ‘failure’ (whatever that is)
Get clear on your ‘why’ first
Once you’re clear on the values you want to exhibit in your daily life, don’t be scared to practice committing to small, fun goals. Build those mental muscles associated with discipline and a loss of ego
Now, time to set a goal around making the perfect morning coffee…