SMART or DUMB goals? Which goal-setting strategy is right for you?
Goal setting used to be a simple concept. Set a goal, figure out how you’re going to get there, do stuff, check off your goal. Most people have to set goals at some point: students, parents, families, entrepreneurs, and most of us in the business world.
Goal-setting
We all know what goal setting is: establishing a short or long-term objective to be obtained. It’s a thing we want to do. Usually, we have short-term goals (less than a year) and long-term goals (over a year). We want to accomplish x by this date and y by this date. Following our goal setting, we usually create tasks to achieve that larger objective. In order to accomplish x, I will do this and this, which will get me to this.
It sounds like a simple process, but so many people find that they never accomplish their goals for one reason or another. So the business world decided to establish rules around how to set goals. Below, we’ll look at different types of goal setting and how to determine which strategy works for you.
SMART goals
Most of us are familiar with SMART goals. This method was coined by George T. Doran in a 1981 piece called “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and objectives.” In that piece, he identified the acronym S.M.A.R.T. as
- Specific
- Measurable
- Assignable
- Realistic
- Time-related
This goal setting model took off, and soon, everyone was setting SMART goals. What many people failed to realize was that Doran was suggesting these goals 1) for managers looking to create goals with meaningful, clear results for employees (and themselves) and 2) did not have to rigidly follow every aspect of the guide. His idea was simply that if we are creating goals, we can use the guide SMART to form the goals in a clear, objective-based format. This strategy works wonders in sales. But people started to feel that SMART goals were missing something.
Enter criticism. SMART goals are too narrow, too limiting, intimidating, restrictive, and so on. It seems that critics are always with the caveat: “SMART goals serve their purpose, but….”
That’s just it. SMART goals have a purpose: to help those who need a guide. There are, however, other guides available.
DUMB goals
Around 2014, Brendon Burchard, author, coach, trainer, and motivational speaker, coined D.U.M.B. goals. He explains D.U.M.B. goals as:
- Dream-driven
- Uplifting
- Method-friendly
- Behavior-driven
D.U.M.B. goals are focused on larger personal and professional goals. He created this acronym to help people see outside of the narrowness of SMART goals and to think bigger.
- Dream-driven (or destiny-driven) means the goal is bigger and tied to your passions and dreams. (Think: I want to be a millionaire. I want to live on an island.)
- Uplifting means that you’re excited about your goal, which makes you want to achieve it. Burchard says, “It needs to be sexy.”
- Method-friendly means that you can map out methods to practice that goal. (Think: I’m going to increase my savings by $1,000/month the first year and $1,500/month the second year by saving money and by working a side job.)
- Behavior-driven means there are triggers connected to your methods that become habits in your behavior. (Think: I’m going to start couponing and stop eating out, which will save me $700/month towards my $1,000/month.)
This method of goal setting is great. It’s full of passion and energy. It’s what business owners want for their lives and for their business. It’s exciting. It’s visionary. It’s what wakes people up in the morning and gets them going despite issues and struggles.
It’s also not as clear as SMART goals. DUMB goals are larger-than-life. That doesn’t make them better or worse than SMART goals. It makes them different.
Which one do I use?
If you’re stuck on using SMART or DUMB goals, consider a few factors.
Current status
It’s also important to think about where you are in your life currently. If you’re in college or fresh out of college, it’s not a bad idea to have those DUMB goals, but you probably want to start with SMART goals. Most of us are further in our careers, so we can start with our DUMB goals. New parents or parents with little ones may want to focus on SMART goals before DUMB goals.
Short versus long-term goals
Are you setting goals for the next year or for the next 5 years? SMART goals are better suited for short-term goals while DUMB goals are great for long-term goals. Why not do both? Consider creating long-term DUMB goals first before creating short-term SMART goals. It’s better to look at long-term (big picture) before you look at short-term (steps to get to long term).
Need to visualize
So many people need to visualize their goals. There are tons of templates for SMART goals but very few for DUMB goals. If you are looking for a template to help you visualize your goals, you’ll need to work with one of the hundreds of thousands of SMART templates or create your own DUMB template. Or opt for a simple vision board!
Importance of language
Language carries a lot of weight with it. If you’ve written down DUMB goals, that language might make you feel as though your goals are dumb; therefore, decreasing your internal motivation. If that language doesn’t bother you, go for DUMB goals. If it bothers you, stick to SMART goals.
Metacognition
My final suggestion in making your choice is knowing your own process. Do you work better when you have big ideas out there in the world? DUMB goals all the way. Do you work better with specific objectives that are clearly outlined? SMART goals all the way?
Goals are meant to be out in the world. If you internalize those goals, you’re likely to never accomplish them. Instead, try using SMART and DUMB goals. See which one works for you. If nothing else, goal setting will help you identify areas that you need to work on and objectives that you want to work toward.