Question 2: How Will I Know I’ve Succeeded? (The ‘What’ Question)
Once you have a powerful ‘why,’ you need a crystal-clear ‘what.’ A vague target is impossible to hit. “Get healthier” is a noble sentiment, but it’s not a goal; it’s an aspiration. How do you measure “healthier”? What specific actions does it entail? Without a precise definition of success, you can neither create a plan nor track your progress. This is where established goal-setting frameworks become invaluable tools for clarity.
The most well-known framework is SMART goals. It’s a simple but powerful acronym that transforms a fuzzy idea into a concrete target. Let’s break it down:
Specific: Your goal must be clear and unambiguous. Instead of “get more clients,” a specific goal is “sign three new retainer clients for my consulting business.”
Measurable: You need a way to track progress. “Three new clients” is measurable. “Learn to code” is not, but “complete a 10-hour Python for beginners course and build a small web scraper” is.
Achievable: Your goal should be challenging but realistic. Aiming to run a marathon next month when you currently don’t run is likely setting yourself up for failure. A better goal might be to run a 5K in three months. Your goal should stretch you, not break you.
Relevant: This connects back to your ‘why.’ Does this goal matter in the larger context of your life and vision? If your long-term vision is to build a location-independent business, a goal to get a promotion in your office-based job might not be relevant.
Time-bound: A goal needs a deadline. A deadline creates a sense of urgency and prevents the goal from stretching on indefinitely. “By the end of this quarter” or “within six months” provides a clear finish line.
For more ambitious or complex goals, you might consider the OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) framework, popularized by companies like Google. The structure is simple:
Objective: This is the inspirational, qualitative statement of what you want to achieve. It should be ambitious and feel slightly uncomfortable. Example: “Establish myself as a thought leader in my industry.”
Key Results: These are the 3-5 measurable, quantitative outcomes that prove you have achieved the objective. They are the evidence of your success. For the objective above, key results could be: “Publish four articles on industry blogs,” “Increase my LinkedIn followers by 50%,” and “Be a guest on two industry-related podcasts.”
Both SMART goals and OKRs help you define a lagging indicator. A lagging indicator is the ultimate outcome you’re trying to achieve. It’s a measure of past performance—it lags behind your effort. Losing 10 pounds, getting the promotion, or launching the website are all lagging indicators. They are the final score on the scoreboard. Defining them clearly is the critical second step in building a goal that you can actually pursue.
