To help you be more productive, and to succeed in your solopreneur business or service, setting goals is an important part of it. But simply having goals is not enough - it's important to make sure they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

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SMART goals framework was created and developed by George Doran, Arthur Miller, and James Cunningham in 1981 in an issue of Management Review.

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S - Specific: A specific goal is clear and well-defined, and addresses a specific need or challenge. It answers the questions "what," "why," and "how." For example, a specific goal might be "increase my monthly revenue by 20% within the next six months by targeting new customers through social media marketing.". Another example can be “Create and publish one new YouTube video per week for the next six months, and grow my subscriber base by 10% through consistent engagement with my audience and promotion of my videos on social media.”

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M - Measurable: A measurable goal has a clear and quantifiable measure of progress, so you can track your progress and see how close you are to achieving it. For example, "increase my monthly revenue by 20%" is a measurable goal because it has a specific and measurable target (20% increase in revenue). So saying I want to increase my sales, as much is a goal, doesn’t really help you as it’s not specific or measurable.

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A - Achievable: An achievable goal is realistic and attainable, given your resources and constraints. It should push you, but not be impossible to achieve. For example, "increase my monthly revenue by 20%" is an achievable goal if you have the skills, time, and resources to make it happen, but it might not be achievable if you have no skills or time to put into practice. That was my biggest challenge I have many goals and ideas to put into practice but many of them were not achievable for the time that I decided to put it into reality ( see letter T)

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R - Relevant: A relevant goal is aligned with your values, goals, and priorities, and addresses a specific need or challenge that is important.

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T - Time-bound: A time-bound goal has a specific timeline, with a start date and an end date. This helps you stay focused and motivated and provides a sense of urgency to achieve your goal. For example, "increase my monthly revenue by 20% within the next six months" is a time-bound goal because it has a specific timeline (the next six months). Does this work? Ask Jim Carrey . Don’t know if he was using that framework but work on him

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Setting goals is necessary but by setting the SMART criteria, you can set goals that are more likely to lead to success. Remember to review your goals regularly and adjust them as needed to ensure they are still relevant and realistic. With clear and well-defined SMART goals in place, you can stay focused and motivated, and make progress toward achieving your desired outcomes.

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