Setting goals is a natural part of our lives. There is always the next dream, the next vision, the next big breakthrough. We always strive for more.
When I was a kid, every year I wrote a list of what I wanted to be able to do. I made these sometimes in September, sometimes in January, or during springtime, but every year there was one. I still have some of them in old notebooks, and this ritual continues to this day. At first, there were simple wishes, and as I grew older, I aimed for bigger things.
Surprisingly, the things on the list were not really things. Goals like “speak German at a B2 level,” “learn to play Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on the flute,” “travel to Portugal,” and “write my first short story” took the spotlight. Why is that interesting? Because all of them were in my control.
It was up to me to learn German to a higher level. I was the one to practice playing the flute so I could play that piece. It was my responsibility to work and save to afford a trip to Portugal. It depended only on me to try writing my short story.
This is one of the key markers of a good goal. But we don’t want just a good goal – we want a SMART AF goal. But wait…
What the heck is that?
If you’ve ever read any article or book – or even watched a YouTube video – about goal setting, you’ve probably heard about SMART goals. It is a concept on how to formulate your goal so it can be realistically achievable.
Well, as you see, this was not enough for me… I felt like something was missing. So I added the AF elements at the end. Now it works for me too. Let’s see what makes a goal SMART AF.
Your goal needs to be:
🎯Specific
🎯Measurable
🎯Achievable
🎯Relevant
🎯Time bound
aaaand
🎯Admired
🎯Flexible.
These sound great in theory, but it is too dry and distant to actually make you want to do it.
So, let’s see how to turn a wish into a SMART AF goal, shall we?
If I say that I want to be a runner, that is a shallow wish. What does it even mean? If I run after the bus every morning, will I be a runner? If I run a marathon? If I run in races? Well, it is all up to you what you consider the goal (in his case, when you consider yourself a runner).
My goal from this would be “I want to run a half marathon in Portugal next March (in almost half a year) and I want to finish under 2,5 hours. I will complete it without injury.” Psst! This is actually one of my goals for 2025 so if you want to see me crushing it, then follow my Instagram 😉
Now, that is already SPECIFIC – I wrote down exactly what I want to do – run a half marathon in Lisbon. Also, the rest of the goal is detailed as well, but we need all these elements to make it work.
It is also MEASURABLE: I know by WHEN and WHAT is the result I want. In March (when I need to be ready), and I want to run it under 2,5 hours without getting injured (race timing helps to keep track of how my training goes).
The goal needs to be ACHIEVABLE. If I never ran before and I say that I want to run a marathon in 3 months… well… not really achievable for me. But I am already a runner (5k, 7k, 10k races), and I gave myself a reasonable time to train and complete my goal.
And that takes us right to the RELEVANT marker. It is relevant to ME, because I am already running regularly, it fits my life, it has a connection to me. Of course, when your goal is to try something new, the relevance will be different – it could be relevant because it is an outlet to get out of your comfort zone.
We also already ticked off the TIME BOUND requirement: the goal needs a deadline, and in the example, it will be March 2025. Having a timestamp for your goal is crucial to know where you are headed and how much time you have left for completion. Make sure that the deadline is actually doable for you, and maybe leave a little extra room for flexibility. Speaking of flexibility… this one can make or break the whole thing. But more on this in the last point.
So, what is left is actually the two extra steps I added – and they are both things which will not be written out in your phrasing. But that does not mean that they are any less important. On the contrary! These two will help you actually do what you need to do and motivate you until the finish line. What are these?
The first one is, that your goal needs to be ADMIRED – by you of course. This means that it needs to be something that you have an emotional connection to. You actually want to do it; it is something you wish for and look forward to.
Regarding my running goal: I want to run through Lisbon’s streets and feel the salty air on my skin when I cross the finish line. I want to prove to myself that I am strong and capable of running a half marathon. Plus, I love Portugal, so that was an easy choice for the place.
Our last marker is FLEXIBILITY, and as I said, this can make or break your success. Why? Because if you cannot bend, you will break. If you set too tight a deadline or overestimate how much you can handle or incorporate into your daily life, you will struggle. That will make you bitter and give up.
Instead of quitting, look at your goal and see where you can change things. For the running goal this means that I give myself 5 months to prepare, instead of the usual 12 weeks, which most half marathon plans have. This gives me the chance to take time off if I get injured during training or fall sick or life just gets busy, and I need to reschedule.
This also means that my goal is layered. I have a deadline and a place to aim for, but if I run my half marathon in Belgium instead of Lisbon, I will still be super proud of myself. If I finish in 2 hours 35 minutes, I will still be happy.
Give yourself room and chance to adjust your plans to suit YOUR life. Remember: it is YOUR goal and YOUR success.