Have you noticed how some people use realistic, while others use relevant?
So which is the right one, does it even matter?
Rob and Rich discuss the merits of both. Maybe they might change your mind about which one to use.
It’s fair to say the acronym SMART, which gives us a guide to setting goals and objectives, has been around for some time. In our podcast, we explore how you get better value if you consider the R stands for relevant.
Rob and Rich begin their discussion by reminding listeners what SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic/Relevant and Time-bound. Many people use realistic because that’s what they know, but Rob is a big fan of applying the term relevant instead. He maps out how if you have a list of tasks to achieve on a day, we can always choose something that’s realistic. For example, we could easily set ourselves the limiting goal of running 100 metres in 14 hours.
It becomes a different question if we ask, “How relevant is the goal?” We should look at the relevance of achieving our tasks rather than just asking, “Can I achieve them?” By applying this technique, we can reach a meaningful goal.
Ricky adds that if we use the term relevant, we bring into play questions and thoughts for the person writing the goal about their motivation.
Both agree that realistic and achievable can almost be interchangeable when considering the SMART framework. Substituting the R for relevant can help us prioritise and consider our motivation, adding more value to the whole process.
There really are no right or wrong answers, but using relevance in their expert opinion will add more depth and value to achieving our goals.