SMART goals sound… smart.
Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Relevant. Time-bound.
A tidy acronym. A safe checklist. A corporate comfort blanket.
But here’s the truth:
The traditional approach to SMART goals is a trap.
It makes you feel productive while keeping you small.
It rewards predictability over possibility.
It tells you to aim for what’s realistic… and avoid what’s necessary.
Was putting a man on the moon SMART?
Was building the iPhone SMART?
Was changing your life SMART?
Of course not. Those weren’t “achievable” at the start. They were unreasonable, uncomfortable, and almost laughably bold.
Traditional SMART goals give you a finish line.
But transformation doesn’t happen at the finish line. It happens when you refuse to stop.
That’s why most goal-setting frameworks fail the people who actually want to build something that matters.
They optimize for control, not growth.
So forget the traditional SMART model—the one that tells you to play safe, check the boxes, and call that success.
Reclaim the acronym. Redraw the lines.
Make it dangerous. Make it alive. Make it matter.
Try this instead:
- Scary: It should make your stomach flip.
- Meaningful: You should care if it works.
- Audacious: Big enough to make people doubt you.
- Relentless: Worth pursuing long after the excitement fades.
- Time-agnostic: Because deadlines don’t define destiny.
Still SMART. But not safe.
So—do you want to be predictable?
Or do you want to be unstoppable?
Your move.