Shedding SMART Goals

2023-01-12

It all started with a question: Why do SMART goals fail to work? SMART goals may be good for project management, such as when you are trying to achieve a very specific goal for a very specific outcome. However, they fail us when trying to create larger goals for our personal and professional growth and development. We need to dig deeper. Where's the stretch? Where's the motivation? Where's the flexibility? Start with Big Hairy Audacious Goa...

It all started with a question: Why do SMART goals fail to work?

SMART goals may be good for project management, such as when you are trying to achieve a very specific goal for a very specific outcome. However, they fail us when trying to create larger goals for our personal and professional growth and development.

We need to dig deeper.

Where's the stretch?

Where's the motivation?

Where's the flexibility?

Start with Big Hairy Audacious Goals

What are BHAG's?

BHAG (pronounced bee-hag) stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goals. The term was first coined in 1994 by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in their book "Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies."

The issue with SMART goals is that when written and followed explicitly, they are way too constrictive. When we fall outside the boundaries of the SMART goal, it all looks like failure. If you don't achieve the goal by the "date," does that mean you've failed? If you don't achieve the measurement, does that mean you've failed? That's a lot of failures to pile into one goal.

This Coffee Chat will help you to set yourself up for success and here are the resources to support you.

Download the Big Rock Planner here

How-to video: Completing the Big Rock Goal Sheet

Andrew Jacobs ABCDE Goal Setting Method

Get the Coffee Chat recording here

Get your copy of the chat messages here

Get the live transcript here

Extras!

Forbes: SMART Goals, 5 Shocking Reasons why they may be dumb.

Asana: Do the Impossible with Big Hairy Audacious Goals

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How to Set Goals with Kaizen & Ikigai: Focus, Cure Procrastination, & Increase Personal Productivity