I first learned about SMART Goals during my five-year “gap year” from college. This concept came up in the business course I took, the group problem solving team I joined, and the professional development books I borrowed from my employer as I tried to find a career path I could be passionate about. Since then, it has come up over and over in professional development, workshops, and conferences. SMART Goals are a good tool, but through my Long COVID experience I have come to reassess them.
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Achievable
R - Realistic (or Relevant)
T - Timely (or Time-bound)
Perhaps the ART of SMART Goals is the most important part especially when dealing with challenges like Long COVID. Learning and relearning what is achievable under challenging circumstances is the first step. What is achievable informs what is realistic, but for those who prefer relevant for the R, the challenge itself and what is achievable are likely to have shifted the priorities and so also inform what is relevant. Time remains a key part of the puzzle, but with more grace and flexibility than the typical “business” approach to time.
Part of my new approach to SMART is Prioritization. Energy management is the best tool I have to give me some control over the frequency and severity of my bad days. As such, prioritization is key. Some weeks, the priority is meeting a deadline. Others, it is checking in with my medical team. Sometimes, the priority is a balance between work, rest, and appointments.
The other new element I use is goal scaling, which adds grace and compassion to SMART Goals. I love using laundry to illustrate goal scaling. My time slot for the laundry room is on Sundays, but any given Sunday may be a bad day, an okay day, a good day, or a great day. My SMART Goal is to wash, dry, fold, and put away one load of laundry during my time slot. With goal scaling, I acknowledge that any given Sunday may have a different outcome depending on the type of day it is and that’s okay. Maybe I wash and dry a load, but don’t put it away. Maybe I don’t do laundry at all that day. Maybe I get 2 or 3 loads of laundry washed and put away. All are acceptable outcomes.
One of the great things about goal scaling is that it reduces or eliminates the energy wasted on disappointment at not accomplishing the stated goal. And, continuing with my laundry example, while on the granular day-to-day level I may not always accomplish the goal, zooming out to the monthly outlook or longer, I never ran out of clean clothes, sheets, towels, etc. in 2024 despite having Long COVID all year.
This time last year, I drastically scaled back my expectations for 2024. Despite the variability and uncertainty of Long COVID, using the above techniques, I met all the commitments I retained for the year. Now, looking back, I am proud of the work I accomplished in 2024. Looking forward, I am confident in my ability to bite off only what I can chew and in my ability to do so effectively and efficiently with grace for myself and others.
Feature image credit: scale tool by Lara from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)
Carolyn Ristau 