My last batch of blogs comprising the Action Audit series were specifically focused and designed to help close Action Gaps between our words and deeds so that we can enhance our personal integrity. The CAR process I prescribe is specifically designed to connect singular statements (or Commitments) with singular behaviors (or Actions) with the idea that successful outcomes help us enhance our personal integrity with ourselves, ultimately resulting in increasing our social integrity within our relationships as well. A critical distinction in this process is to be very clear that the outcome is only focused on integrity enhancement, and not at all on goal attainment. 

To further clarify, I use “Actions” here to describe single, 1-time events. In this context, they are usually set in the future in the form of a plan or promise. For example, “get up early and go to the gym,” or “meet for a drink at 5pm sharp,” or some other specific behavior.

I make it a point to clearly differentiate these actions from any larger goals that they may be in service to. For example, the plan to “get up early and go to the gym” may be in service to a larger goal of “losing weight” or “getting healthier,” but the existence of a goal is irrelevant to the CAR process and efforts towards integrity enhancement. Again, the CAR process is focused on singular events, period.

Goals, on the other hand, are often about some far off, nebulous state of being. They exist in the future land of “eventually” and are often vaguely defined or even imaginary. “Richer,” “thinner,” and “happier” are all common goals I often hear from clients. They’re all invisible and immaterial, yet paradoxically, any meaningful progress towards them requires steady attention and focused intention. Their constant drag on our awareness can have enormous impacts on our mental health and wellbeing, even as they promise to improve it.

How we connect our actions of integrity enhancement to larger goals of attainment? How do we take a “random heap” of individual actions and turn them into an “integrated whole” of goal accomplishment? By turning our vague “-er” (thinner, richer, better, etc...) hopes into concrete plans through application of the SMART process.

SMART goals are those that not only answer “yes” to the following 5 questions, but follow up with concrete answers.

1.    Is it Specific? Here you need to turn your nebulous “-er” goal, such as “richer” or “thinner” into something else more quantifiable.

2.    Is it Measureable? Thankfully this 2nd question provides direction here. How could you quantify the invisible goal of “richer” or “thinner” into something more objectively visible? Examples would be “increase salary by 20%,” or “lose 10 pounds.”

3.    Is it Achievable? This 3rd question further brings reality into play by forcing you to account for more of what is actually true for you now and what steps you might need to consider to reach the specific goal you stated. Here is where many clients initially struggle but then come out of the process more motivated to begin the work necessary for achievement.

4.    Is it Relevant? Another good question that comes from a place that you, like everybody, only have so much TME to dedicate to this process. A key to success here is to make sure that this particular goal is worth the struggle!

5.    Finally, is it Time Bound? We need to get out of misty “eventual” land and anchor our goal firmly to the calendar. Maybe our original sense of “thinner” could be helpfully tied to an upcoming event? Or “richer” can be connected to our upcoming performance review conversation. Regardless, we need to set a hard timeline here to drive focus and effort.

All this comes together in framing out our goal in accordance to the SMART process. Just like the CAR process above ties Commitment to Action and binds them in the final step of Recognition, the SMART goal process turns half-conscious aspirations into concrete plans.

For example, “I want to be thinner” gets turned into “My goal is to lose 10 pounds by Janet’s wedding coming up in 2 months. I will accomplish this goal by increasing my time at the gym from 2 x/week for 45 minutes/session to 4x/week for 1 hr/session. Accomplishing this goal will allow me to wear an awesome dress that I feel great in, (and most importantly, will help me further boost my integrity and self-confidence as somebody who can set goals and then attain them!).”

That last part of the last sentence is the real take-away for me and my work with my clients. Acting as a Catalyst, my goal is to help you get where you want to go, just quicker and easier. Book a complimentary 30-minute Discovery call here to set up a chat to see where I might be able to help you close some Action Gaps and/or rework your vague aspirations into attainable SMART goals.