For as long as I can remember I have been obsessed with setting goals. I have read many books on this subject, listened to countless podcasts addressing goal setting and attended multiple seminars to help me improve this area of my life. My focus has been so much on goal setting that I would almost say my number one goal in life has been to “improve my goal setting techniques.”
I have always been a huge fan on the SMART goal philosophy. And I strongly agree with the concept of setting process goals rather than product goals. These two concepts have helped me achieve many goals in my life and have helped me create a better version of myself. However, lately I have been feeling that even when combining these two strategies, they are lacking some very important fundamentals. This has lead me to explore a new process of goal setting that may help others be more successful with the goals they set out to accomplish.
If you are not familiar with SMART goals and Product verses Process goals I want to go into these concepts briefly because having an understanding of them will help you better understand my new process.
SMART GOALS
SMART goals were first introduced in 1981 by George T. Doran in an issue of Management Review. He stated that when creating goals the following objectives should be present.
- Specific – target a specific area for improvement.
- Measurable – quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress.
- Assignable – specify who will do it.
- Realistic – state which results can realistically be achieved, given available resources.
- Time-related – specify when the result(s) can be achieved.
This foundation has developed over the years and has been used in many different areas to improve the way we set goals and achieve them. Each letter in SMART refers to a different criterion for judging objectives. There has been some variations in usage, but overall the concept has remained the same.
In the fitness industry you will often see SMART goal defined as.
- Specific – goals must be clear and unambiguous.
- Measurable – goals must be measurable to see if you are making progress.
- Attainable – goals should be realistically attainable.
- Relevant – goals must be relevant to the particular interests, needs and abilities of the individual.
- Time-bound – goals must contain estimated timelines for completion.
This definition has been the foundation of setting goals for the last 50 years and is still a very important concept to understand. I have used the fundamentals of SMART goals in creating my new RAPID goal philosophy.
Product verses Process Goals
There are two distinct types of goals that we can set. Both of these goals can be created as SMART goals but one is much more powerful and will bring you much closer to achieving success.
Product Goals
Product goals look at the outcome or the “product” you are looking to achieve. For example lose 10 pounds or make $200,000 per year. A SMART product goal would be ” I want to lose 10 pounds in 3 months”. This goal meets all of the SMART criteria.
- Specific – lose 10 pounds
- Measurable – you can measure your weight loss
- Attainable – sure, 10 pounds in three month is attainable.
- Relevant – if it is important to you to lose weight it is relevant
- Time-bound – 3 months
However, you do not have complete control over the outcomes of product goals. There are many factors that can contribute to your success or lack of success and there really is no plan for you to follow. A better way to achieve your goals and have control over your success is to create Process Goals.
Process Goals
Process goals focus on the process you need to take in order to accomplish the product you are looking to achieve. For example “to lose 10 pounds”, you may have to improve your diet, exercise more or both. A SMART process goal would be ” I will exercise 30 minutes per day by jogging around my neighborhood 5 days per week for 3 months.” This goal meets all of the SMART criteria and you have complete control over accomplishing it.
- Specific –jog 30 minutes 5 days per week
- Measurable – you can measure the time jogging and days per week
- Attainable – 30 minutes is attainable for most people starting out .
- Relevant – if your goal is to lose weight or get into better physical shape this goal is relevant.
- Time-bound – 3 months
If you successfully complete this Process Goal you have a good chance of reaching the Product Goal of losing 10 pounds.
RAPID Goals- A new approach to Goal Setting
To begin with RAPID goal setting, you will start with the Product you are looking to achieve. No matter what our goals are they are ALL based on a product. No one really wants to exercise more, eat healthier or work harder. We all want what these thing will bring us. A healthier body, more energy, a longer life or more money. The Product is VERY important to your success so we need to first discover what it is we are really looking to achieve.
This may sound very simple but often the real product we are looking for is hidden behind other products that we think are important. I will use weight loss as an example. Your product goal may start off as lose 20 pounds. Then when you look deeper you may discover that losing 20 pounds will make you able to move around better and be more active. Looking deeper yet you uncover that being active means having a better quality of life and living longer. After some digging you determine that your real product goal is not losing 20 pounds but really, living longer and having a better quality of life. Now you are ready to start the RAPID goal Process to achieve this goal.
The RAPID Goal approach is another acronym that stands for.
- Reason Why
- Action Based
- Plan – Detailed Plan
- Immediate Action
- Declare – Announce Publicly
Reason Why
You first need to begin with your reason why. Having a strong reason why you must achieve this goal is perhaps the most important element to your success. This reason may also be buried under other reasons you think you should achieve the goal. However, the real reason will bring up strong emotions and you will know when you find it. If you are having difficulty determining what your real reason is ask yourself what your life would look like if you do not achieve this goal. Back to our example the reason for achieving our goal to live longer and have a better quality of life may be that we want to be there for our children and grandchildren and experience all of the exciting events in their future.
Action Based
Now it is time to look at some Process Goals that will help you achieve your Product. There are many way you can go about achieving this goal. For example you may want to improve your diet, get more exercise, manage stress better, improve your sleep, seek medical guidance, take supplements, etc. Create a list and write everything down, even if the actions may seem a little unordinary. From this list you will choose ONE action to begin with. We often try to incorporate too many changes all at once and end up changing nothing so it is really important that you begin with just one. Once you implement that you can add another action to bring you closer to your goal.
Plan
Next we will create a detailed plan of success. Lets assume we chose to exercise more as our action. We will use the SMART goal process to turn this action into a SMART goal. It may look something like “complete 30 minutes of physical activity by jogging every morning at 6am on Monday through Friday for 3 months”. This is the first part of the plan. You now know what you are going to do and when, the second part of the plan needs to address how you are going to do it. It is time to create another list. This list will be all of the things you will need to carry out this action. You may need to purchase some running shoes, get a gym membership so you can use a treadmill when the weather does not allow you to run outdoors, set an alarm to wake you up earlier, go to bed earlier so it is easier to get up, etc. Think of all of the obstacles that may get in your way and plan for them in advance.
Immediate Action
Often we set amazing goals and then set a time in the future to begin working on them. We create energy and motivation while setting these goals but loose that energy and motivation by the time we begin them. For example, if you are setting this goal on a Saturday and determine you will begin your daily jog on Monday, most likely Monday morning you will not be as excited to begin this process as you are right now. So, it is really important that you take some immediate action right NOW. Set that alarm, go purchase the shoes, put your jogging clothes by your bed, etc. Just do something right NOW that will begin this process.
Declare
This step will help you take that immediate action. You need to Declare or announce publicly that this is your goal. Tell your friends and family that you will be committed to doing this activity and post it on your social media. You may need their support and understanding if your new activities or actions gets in the way of your old routines. And most importantly, it is much more difficult to change your mind if someone is watching. Once you announce that you made this commitment and you know that others are aware of it, deciding not to follow though is much more difficult.
Ready to Begin?
I hope this has inspired you to begin creating some amazing goals and taking charge of the direction of your life. In order to ever achieve anything, go anywhere or become the best version of yourself you must have a destination, direction and a plan on how to get there. If you would like more help in this area and would like my personal guidance in helping you create your RAPID plan for success, you have two opportunities available. You can sign up for my Goal Setting Workshop or schedule a Goal Setting Session with me below. I look forward to meeting you, helping you achieve your goals and create the best version of yourself.
