We have been told that SMART goals are key to nailing our business growth. However, most of us struggle to achieve the goals we set. You can beat the statistics and set goals for success by overcoming common problems with SMART goals.

To refresh your memory SMART is an acronym to help us make more effective goals:

S – specific, The SMART goal answers questions like what, why, who, where, and how.

M – measurable The SMART goal answers questions like how much, how many, and how will I know. For example, increase sales by 20%, gain 100 more newsletter subscribers, etc.

A – attainable, achievable – Set realistic SMART goals. Don’t aim for 7 figures in sales in a month if you haven’t hit 6 figures.

R – relevant. Is this goal relevant to your business? E.g. increasing TikTok followers is pointless if your customers aren’t on the platform.

T-time-bound. By establishing a clear deadline, you stay focused and motivated and increase your chances of success.

The biggest mistake I see with clients making SMART Goals is focusing on a goal they don’t control. For example, when I was teaching, my students would set the goal of an ‘A,’ but they couldn’t control the ‘A,’ only their actions to reach the ‘A.’

We make the same mistakes in our business. We can’t control whether or not someone buys from us. We can control the value we offer, how many people we present our offer to, how many times we make the ask, etc.

Your wish may be to increase your sales by 20%, which can be a measure of success, but you can only control your actions to lead to the sales. What actions will you take on a daily and weekly basis that can increase sales?

The solution? Consider specifically what actions you will take, when and how often and build them into your schedule.

The next mistake I see clients make is making goals that are too far away.

Our brains can better handle smaller steps, and we will progress more with multiple smaller steps than with one big, long-term goal. Use your goal setting to think more of the milestones and steps that will take you closer to the end goal.

The solution? Focus on milestones for the next quarter.

Without connecting to the bigger purpose, we lose motivation when challenges come. We are more likely to persist and overcome obstacles, setbacks, and failures because our goals are worth the effort and sacrifice when we have defined our ‘why’. For example, a person who wants to lose weight because they want to improve their health and live longer for their family has a powerful ‘why’ that can motivate them to exercise and eat healthy.

The solution? Define why this goal is important.