SMART Goals are for Suckers

If there’s one thing we know about goals, they have to be SMART, right? After all, that’s what we’ve been told for years.

The only thing that matters is that your goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. People make a lot of money teaching us about SMART goals and how they will help you reach your business desires.

I am here to tell you -- SMART goals are for suckers.  

SMART goals don’t go far enough for those who want to achieve big things. 

~heathergowrie

Think about it. Do you want to be stuck with “attainable” and “realistic” goals when what you dream about is a 3-day workweek, frequent international travel, and enough money to fund a mission trip (or three)? Seems pretty clear that those safe, smart goals will not get you there. They might even do worse than “not get you there.” They may actively hold you back. 

Consider what happens when you set an “attainable” goal of earning 10% more than you did last year. You might work 10% more. You might spend 10% more on ads or product creation. You might even reach out to 10% more potential clients. And you’ll likely earn about 10% more. But did that 10% goal inspire you to work harder? Or did it create a subconscious ceiling on your earning potential that you’re unable to breakthrough?

Rather than focusing on goals that are attainable and realistic, savvy entrepreneurs know that the key to incredible success lies in creating lofty goals that feel out of reach—maybe even UN-attainable. They don’t strive to earn 10% more than last year. They want 50% or even 100% more. They stretch themselves. They find new—and better—ways to do things, so they don’t have to work twice as hard, but they remain open to the possibility of doing so—at least in the short term—when it’s necessary. 

Of course, you cannot simply declare crazy goals and expect the universe to hand them to you. And that’s exactly why putting aside those smart goals is so…smart. When you shun the attainable in favor of the “holy cow, how will I ever do THAT?” goal, you push yourself beyond those self-imposed limits and reach for the stars. 

Sure, you might not double your income, but you’re almost guaranteed to do better than a mere 10% increase. So push your boundaries. Set big, audacious goals. Even if you fail, you’ll be much further ahead than those smart goals would leave you. Setting a big goal for yourself helps you think outside the box. If you don’t believe me, try it. Decide on a big income goal for the coming month. Write it down. Keep it in front of you. Then get to work and start to notice what happens next. You start to think of things that didn’t occur to you before.

Want to argue your view? Feel free to leave a comment or email me at heather@gowrie.biz I would love to hear from you.