I understand the appeal of a clearly defined goal. I have seen goal setting work in my own life. My objection is not to clarity or measurement; it is to the way “realistic” can become an excuse to avoid an ambition before we have explored it.
When I first wrote this reflection in 2020, I called it “Why Smart Goals Suck”. The more useful question is this: are your goals helping you move forward, or merely describing what you already know how to do?
Keep the structure; question the limits
The version of SMART I was responding to used specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed. Those prompts can help make an intention concrete. But completing an acronym is not the same as deciding whether the goal matters.
Before refining the wording, ask what you actually want to change and why. Whose priority is it? What would be different for your customers, team or life outside the business? What are you willing to commit, and what must you protect?
A target can be precise and still be the wrong target. A larger ambition can be meaningful and still need smaller steps before you know whether it is viable.
Separate the ambition from the next commitment
You do not need every answer before exploring a possibility. You do need to distinguish a direction you want to pursue from a promise you are ready to make.
For example, “I want the business to operate without every decision passing through me” is an ambition. A next commitment might be to document one recurring decision, agree who can make it and review the arrangement after four weeks. This hypothetical example is a test of a working practice, not a guarantee of an owner-independent business.
The business bottleneck questions can help you identify where that first experiment belongs.
Use constraints as information
Time, money, health and responsibilities are not simply limiting beliefs to ignore. Some constraints can be changed; others need to be respected. Ask what evidence would help you distinguish between the two.
What skill is missing? What assumption can you test? What would the attempt cost? What outcome would tell you to stop or change direction? Who is affected by the commitment you are considering?
Ambition should not require someone to disregard their wellbeing or make commitments they cannot safely support. Nor does missing a target make a person a failure.
Review learning as well as results
Choose a review date and look at what happened, not just whether a box was ticked. Did you complete the agreed action? What did it reveal? Does the original goal still make sense?
The aim is to challenge assumptions without confusing confidence with evidence. Dream big if that is what matters to you, then make the next step specific enough to learn from.
Turn the ambition into a useful conversation
Read Choosing Action vs. Reaction for a simple way to separate facts from assumptions. To discuss your priorities with Joel, book a free 15-minute fit call.
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