7 Smart Goals Examples to Help You Crush 2021

In this post, we are going to look at 7 SMART goals you can put in place for 2021 to help you have an incredibly successful year.

We will also explore:

How goal setting create success
What are SMART goals

Let’s jump right in.

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How goal setting creates success

If you do not have any goals, it’s hard to know which direction your life is going to go in.

Life will end up pushing and pulling you in all sorts of directions, and most likely, not in the direction you genuinely want to go.

You end up living your life on the terms of those around you, such as your work colleagues, family, and friends.

In order to stop this, you need to set goals.

By setting goals, you will then make a plan on how you are going to achieve that particular goal.

This will give you a reason to jump out of bed each morning and you will see things from a new perspective.

Instead of being pulled around by others, you will have a complete sense of clarity about what you need to do each day.

By having well-defined goals you will set yourself up for success.

According to studies, you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you just write them down.

What are SMART goals?

The term SMART goals was first introduced by George T. Doran in a 1981 issue of Management Review. However, it is typically associated with Peter Drucker’s Management by Objectives Concept.

SMART goals are a specific way of writing down your goals that follow a set formula.

The SMART acronym stands for:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-Bound

If a goal doesn’t follow the SMART formula it is typically very vague. Whereas a SMART goal is very specific and actionable. By following the SMART way of setting goals, it increases your chances of success.

7 Smart Goals Examples

In this part of the post, we are going to look at 7 SMART goals examples that you can copy or that will give you some ideas of goals you might want to set for the upcoming year.

Each one clearly follows the SMART goal setting formula. However, you can adapt each one to make it more applicable for you. Let’s take a look.

Read 1 book a month for the next year

Some of the most successful people in the world are extreme readers. Both Warren Buffett and Richard Branson say a lot of their success comes from reading lots of books.

For most of us reading the amount they do might be a bit of a challenge. However, reading 1 book per month should not be beyond anyone and is a great SMART goal to try and achieve.

S – The goal is to read more books
M – Once a month
A – Challenging, but achievable
R – Relevant if looking to improve knowledge in certain areas
T – One-year time period

Plan out your meals (Mon – Fri every week)

Planning out your meals is a great way to save time every day. It will allow you to get more done in other areas of your life.

It’s also highly likely that you will eat healthier, as you have pre-thought out your meals and won’t just pick up things on the go.

S – The goal is to meal prep
M – Mon – Fri
A – Easily doable
R – Relevant if looking to be more organized and eat better
T – 5 times per week

Learn something new every week

It’s important that we always strive to be learning, so why not set a learning SMART goal.

This one doesn’t have to be difficult; it could be something like learning a new capital city or a new word in a different language.

Try to make it fun and something you are interested in.

S – The goal is learning something new
M – Every week
A – Hard, but doable
R – Relevant is looking to improve your knowledge
T – Every week

Wake up every day at 5 am for a month

If you are not a morning person then there is no doubt that this will be a challenge, however, it could be extremely rewarding.

It will not only help you to build discipline, but it should mean you are able to be more productive every day.

By giving yourself extra time each morning you could work on yourself by going for a run or a swim, make yourself a healthy breakfast or read a book.

S – The goal is waking up earlier
M – Every Day
A – A challenge
R – Relevant if looking to be more productive
T – 1 month

Drink 2 litres of water every day

It’s pretty common that most of us acknowledge we should be drinking more every day.

Drinking more water has lots of benefits such as being more productive and more mentally alert.

The standard recommended amount of water to drink each day is 2 litres.

S – Drinking more water
M – 2 litres a day
A – Easily doable
R – Relevant if looking to improve your health
T – Daily

Review your goals once a week all year

As this is a post about goals, what better idea than to have a SMART goal about your goals.

Setting goals is the first, and arguably, the easiest step. Following through with them is the hard bit.

One way to increase the chances of achieving your goals is to make sure you constantly review them. Once a week is a good place to start.

This means that your goals will stay in front of your mind.

S – The goal is checking your goals
M – Once a week
A – Challenging, but doable
R – Relevant if looking to be self-accountable
T – Yearly (forever)

Get 7-9 hours’ sleep every night

Getting the right amount of sleep is incredibly important if you want to perform at your best every day.

The science shows that getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night is the optimum amount.

This will make it easier for you to have the motivation and desire to achieve all the goals you set for the year.

S – The goal is sleeping more
M – 7-9 hours a night
A – Easily doable
R – Relevant if looking to improve overall well-being
T – Every day

To Sum Up

Hopefully, the above list has given you some ideas of goals you can set for the upcoming year.

You can copy the ideas above or you can adapt them to suit you. For example, instead of choosing to read 1 book a month, you could choose to read 2 books a month.

The key is to remember that each goal you set for the coming year needs to be set with the SMART acronym in mind.

This way you are much more likely to achieve all your goals.

Adam Jones

The Growth Reactor is a blog where you will find actionable personal growth & self-improvement tips, hacks, and guides to help you achieve everything you want in life. It's our mission to help you on your journey through personal development.

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How goal setting creates success

What are SMART goals?