Although I don’t find it a particularly fun process, goal setting is done in a lot of places by a lot of people. I am guessing many of you have heard of SMART goals, where each letter of the acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. Old news, right? Luckily, I stumbled upon a different type of goals, and I want to share this information with you today.
Have you ever heard of SMARTER goals? This system was developed by an individual named Michael Hyatt. Here is what each letter stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Actionable
Risky
Time-keyed
Exciting
Relevant
This system already sounds more fun, right? Not only does this framework get to the important pieces that you can’t get away from – honestly, goals do have to be specific, measurable, and time bound, but I really like what gets changed or added. Goals should be actionable – meaning a goal should get you to do something. Risky means taking a chance to see how it will go. My assumption is this has to do with taking good risks, not questionable ones that may be harmful to you or others. Goals should also be exciting, and this is the key piece I like. If they are not exciting, it makes goals harder to work on or even develop. Then, goals should reflect your values and apply to what you want in life.
When thinking about goals related to recovery from depression or caregiving goals, I think this is a great system to consider. The exciting part may be challenging, but it is worth trying to consider. However, the relevant part can be very helpful in determining what is most important to recovery and caring for yourself and others. Overall, I hope this system gives everyone a larger framework for understanding and developing goals.