How to be S.M.A.R.T. with Your Goals

Tracey Harper shares her dreams

Wish it dream it do it! – has been my motto for years. Many people are fabulous at wishing, some are good at dreaming – but very few are good at the actual doing part.

Goals and dreams form part of all aspects of life – that is what is so fabulous about the whole goal-setting process. Perhaps your dream or goal is to get a storefront studio with staff, or perhaps it is to get into travel photography. The decision is yours.

S is for Specific

You cannot be vague. Being vague is the death of countless dreams and goals.

Let’s take the example of your own storefront studio. You have told people, “I have always wanted to open a studio.” This statement leaves your goal in the future and is extremely vague.

Instead, take that same example and put it in the present with a positive connotation and say, “I am opening a studio in September 2011 on Elm Street.” Now that is specific!

Which of those statements would investors and people in your life take as being more serious? There is a big difference between the two. The ‘S’ stands for SPECIFIC and your statement should answer the ‘specifics’ of: who, what, why, where and when.

M is for Measurable

Your specific goal or dream must be measurable. This is so you can track your progress and see where you stand at any point along the journey.

Let’s go back to the studio example. You have an opening date of September 2011. Do you have the lease and the exact location picked? How about the contract and getting the studio ready beforehand? The list goes on, but you get the idea.

You can measure whether you are achieving your goal or not. Make a checklist that you can cross off as you complete each objective.

A is for Achievable

This does not mean you have to sell your goal or dream short, but being realistic is advisable. Make sure your goal is challenging enough so that you are stretching yourself outside your comfort zone, but not to the extent that it’s not attainable.

For example, if you picked the Studio on Elm Street and that happens to be located in the highest rent district in the city, it may be achievable, but realistically for how long? Is it out of your price range or can you maintain it without killing yourself?

R is for Relevant

Is your goal or dream relevant to your life and lifestyle? Does it fit in with where you want to go in life?

If you are one who likes or wants to travel often – go around the world, are you going to be around in town to run your studio?

T is for Time Sensative

Write down your goal with a finish date. Talk about it with your friends and colleagues. This becomes a deadline from which you can be accountable. It also helps keep your goal in the forefront of your activities. For larger projects you can break them down into smaller segments that are timesensitive in order to keep your energy levels and motivation high.

You can apply the S.M.A.R.T. method to all your goals and dreams in life, not just photography. The S.M.A.R.T. method could be applied in your professional, financial, personal, relationship and community goals, to name just a few.

Personally, here is one of my most recent S.M.A.R.T. goals:

My goal/dream was to go to an F1 race and photograph it (a little secret that you should know about me is that I am a huge Formula One racing fan). That happened in Monza, Italy last fall. I applied these very techniques and achieved the majority of my goal.

Truth be known, I really wanted to be down on the track photographing the race (that’s my next S.M.A.R.T. goal). Unfortunately I had to do it from the stands. I am willing to try again, and this time I will actually get down onto the track!

Using the S.M.A.R.T. method, I will be going to the race in 2012. I will achieve a roadside pass to photograph the F-1 race in 2012! That goal fits all the criteria.

Have fun with your dreams and goals…and remember – be S.M.A.R.T. about it!

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