If you’ve ever read anything related to achievement, motivation or personal development, you’ve no doubt come across the idea of SMART Goals?
More often than not, the conversation revolves around setting SMART goals. This is an acronym for goals that are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-Bound
Believe me, in all the time I worked in both Public Sector and PLC, they were ALWAYS going on about SMART goals, SMART targets. And KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) based around achieving them!
However, all that changed for me, when I first met someone who has subsequently gone on to become a very good and close friend of mine – Dave Hyner!
Like myself, Dave is also a motivational speaker, predominantly working with children and young adults to help them with self belief. However, he hasn’t always worked in schools, and previous to this has travelled most of the Western world interviewing professionals from pretty much every different walk of life and profession “from pop stars to politicians” as he advises, on WHAT enabled them to achieve the exceptional success they have within their chosen profession.
In ALL the interviews (and we are talking several hundred people) not ONE of them either spoke of, or had even heard of SMART goals!
Wonder why that might be? You can see me interview Dave about this here:
So if SMART goals AREN’T What is?
Have you ever heard of DUMB goals? I hadn’t until I watched public speaker and author of the book motivation manifesto – Brendan Burchard.
Both Dave and Brendon both say that our focus on SMART goals limits us to setting “realistic” goals that fail to inspire the human spirit. Instead, they both suggest, we should set our sights much higher and focus on changing the world.
Think putting a man on the moon.
Think serving millions of people.
Think DUMB Goals.
According to both Dave and Brendon, these are goals that are:
- Dream-Driven
- Uplifitng
- Method-Friendly
- Behavior-Driven
So where do you start?
Well, not wanting to take anything away from either Dave or Brendan we’ve come up with our own take on this, and its called BFHAG!
- Big
- Fat
- Hairy
- Audacious
- Goals
Thats a goal so big, fat and hairy that if you don’t stop everything right now and concentrate every effort you have from now until you achieve it, there is little chance you will ever achieve it. Make it very specific (in terms of a clear target and a clear deadline) and ensure it impacts EVERYONE who will be in any way associated with it, beyond you, and your immediate family. Ensure it has such appeal that everyone who hears, see’s, learns of it, either buys it from you or wants to be a part of creating it (and preferably both!)
What impact can you have on the world?
Once you have that, and you share it with one person and they simply say “Wow, REALLY?” then you know your close to devising YOUR BFHAG!
So give it a go!