Smarter Goals
Why SMART Goals Aren’t Enough:
You've probably heard of SMART goals—
Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. It’s a great way to structure a goal, helping clarify what you want. However, SMART goals alone often fall short in creating lasting progress.
The missing element? The "why" behind the goal.
Why do we want to lose weight or start a business?
Maybe it’s to feel more free, confident, or in control. If a goal is worth pursuing, it must be meaningful. It needs to align with our values and give us purpose; otherwise we’ll lose interest.
Smarter Goals
Emotion and Realisation
Emotional connection transforms a goal from a “should do” to something you’re driven to accomplish. Emotions are powerful drivers of behavior look at what people do for love, passion, jealousy, or fear.
Emotion fuels your ability to persevere when things get tough. When you connect emotionally to your goals, they become an absolute must.
How to Harness the Power of Emotion
Link Your Goal to a Deep Emotional Reason
Ask yourself: Why do I really want this? For example, losing weight might not just be about appearance—it could be about feeling healthy and setting an example for your children. That emotional reason keeps you going when motivation dips.
Use Pain and Pleasure
We’re wired to move away from pain and toward pleasure. Connect the pain of not achieving your goal to staying stuck where you are, and link the pleasure of achieving it to how it will improve your life.
Vision
Visualisation is a powerful tool used not only by athletes but by anyone who wants to achieve their goals. Creating a clear, emotionally connected vision helps program your mind for success. When you vividly imagine your goal, you start taking actions that align with that vision.
Close your eyes and imagine you’ve already achieved your goal. Feel what it’s like—how do you feel, what are you doing, how has your life changed? Spend a few minutes daily visualizing this and connecting emotionally to your vision.
SMART goals help outline what you want, but your emotional connection will drive you across the finish line. Tapping into your desires, fears, and passions provides the energy to turn your goals into reality. Paired with a vivid vision, you create a powerful tool that keeps you going—even in tough times.
Action:
In your journal, write down something you want to achieve, stated it clearly and positively.
Ask yourself why you want it and how it connects to your values and the person you want to be.
Consider how you’ll feel as you progress toward it.
Meditate: Visualise what you want, feeling the emotions clearly. Engage all your senses. Make your vision immersive, use your imagination, don’t simply picture things, experience sounds smells and feelings and revisit it daily.
Cue elements of your vision you can revisit easily - use this when faced with choices. What will lead me closer to this vision and what will take me away.