Be a Successful Student With SMART Goal Setting
Did you know that those who write their goals down are 33% more likely to achieve them compared to those who don’t? It’s true! But the fact remains that setting goals can feel scary and intimidating.
We’re here to show you that it doesn't have to be! With SMART goal setting, you’ll be well on your way to identifying your goals and achieving them. Today, I’ll take you through the steps you can take to make the process of goal-setting so much easier and more effective.
But first, let’s talk about the basics of goal-setting for students.
What is goal setting?
Goal setting is taking a proactive approach to achieving your goals.
This means thinking of a big and ambitious goal then breaking it down into smaller tasks that lead to the end result. It’s creating an actionable plan and getting to work.
What sets great students apart from the average is that average students set broad goals while great students set SMART goals.
What’s wrong with setting broad goals?
Setting broad goals is not effective because it's easy to get burnt out and give up since you can’t see and measure your progress.
"I want to be successful" or "I want to be a great high school student" are both great goals, but they're too abstract. It’s difficult to see if you’re getting closer to those goals or farther away because they’re not very well defined.
That makes it impossible for you to know how much work needs to be done, which makes it difficult for you to take action.
So instead of setting abstract goals, you’re going to learn how to set SMART goals.
What is SMART goal setting?
SMART goal setting is the process of taking actionable and measurable steps to get to where you want to be.
SMART is an acronym for 5 variables: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.
Let’s break each of that down and I’ll provide examples for each variable pretending you have the ambition of majoring in Finance. But really, these examples can be anything you want it to be!
S = Specific
Having a specific goal means that you know exactly what you want to accomplish.
By being specific about the type of goal you want to achieve, and why it's important, you can keep yourself from wandering away from your path.
A specific goal also helps you stay motivated because it gives you an idea of how much work you need to do to accomplish your goal.
An example of a specific goal is “I want a 90% or higher on my Algebra I final exam.”
M = Measurable
Having a measurable goal means that you can measure whether you’re getting close or farther away from your goal. So if your goal is "I want to be a better math student", what does better mean? Is it taking your average quiz scores from C to B? Is it being able to do mental arithmetic faster? Is it being able to memorize more formulas?
By setting a measurable goal, you can see how you’re doing against your goal and make adjustments as you progress.
An example of a measurable goal is “I want a 90% or higher on my Algebra I final exam so I will study 3x a week for 1 hour each and take 1 free online practice test a week.”
A = Attainable
Setting attainable goals mean that your goals are realistically achievable with the timeline you’ve given yourself. It’s important to set goals that aren’t overambitious because not seeing any progress leads to frustration and sometimes wanting to give up.
Ultimately, you want to reach this goal so make sure that it’s a reasonable goal that you feel confident you’ll be able to make measurable progress on.
An example of an unattainable goal is trying to score a 90% on your Algebra I final exam when you have previously scored very low grades on your tests and don’t understand the main concepts being taught.
R = Relevant
Setting a relevant goal means that the SMART goal you choose fits into your overall plan.
For example, if you’re a high school freshman and want to be an engineer for NASA one day. Then a relevant goal would be to sign up for STEM classes and ace your high school Geometry and Algebra classes.
An example of a relevant goal is “I want a 90% or higher on my Algebra I final exam because I want to be an engineer and they are great problem solvers.”
T = Timely
Setting timely goals means that you’re forcing yourself to accomplish the goal by a given deadline. This allows you to act urgently and learn to prioritize what’s important.
If there is no sense of urgency for achieving your goal, then you might find yourself distracted by less important tasks that take up your time and prevent progress on your goal. The element of timeliness makes it much easier to stay focused and build productive habits because you know when exactly you’ll reflect on whether you’ve accomplished your goals.
An example of a timely goal is “I want a 90% or higher on my Algebra I final exam so I will study 3x a week for 1 hour each and take 1 free online practice test a week until my final exam in April.”
Final Thoughts on SMART Goal Setting
If you made it this far, you’re already on the way to becoming a great student!
Knowing how to set goals effectively is truly eye-opening and now it’s time for you to start setting your own SMART goals. Don’t know where to start? See this blog from Develop Good Habits to see more examples of SMART goals.
Looking for help in your high school classes or need someone to talk you through the college application? We got you fam. We have 100% free online tutors and college counselors, 24/7. Really, it’s legit free. Get access to free tutoring today.