SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timely) goals have been a popular goal-setting method for startups, entrepreneurs, and ambitious professionals wanting to get granular about their goals. I think SMART goals have their use, but in truth, they’re not always that smart. SMART goals assume the goals being set are the right ones and people set the wrong goals all the time, which makes the whole thing futile. That’s why I really like incorporating the Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) structure for goal setting around Well-Formed Outcomes.

The reason I think this goal-setting structure is so powerful is that oftentimes, people have no clue what they want. Even if they do, they rarely have a clear indication of what that goal would look or feel like, let alone what the steps or tasks to get there should be. The Well Informed Outcomes process helps people achieve success by providing a specific structure to their thinking and enables people to get really specific in their goal-setting process.

Here’s a breakdown of how I take my clients through the Well Informed Outcomes goal-setting process.

Identifying the current problem

It can be helpful for people to get clear on what the current problem they’re facing is so they can create the right goal to overcome it. I don’t like to spend too much time in this phase because I don’t want my clients to get stuck in their negative thoughts or ruminate on the problem, but making sure we’ve identified the real problem at hand is important.

Here are a few questions to help you clarify the specific problem you want to overcome:  

• What is the problem, specifically?
• How do you know that’s the problem?
• How long have you had this problem?
• What stops you from changing the problem?
• How does this problem limit you?
• What would happen if it weren’t solved?

Identifying the desired outcome (the Well-Informed Outcome)

Before setting any goal, it’s important to get clear on your desired outcome. That way, you can incrementally figure out what steps to take to achieve it. I often do this in one of my first sessions with clients because it’s a great way to get them clear, focused, and helps us understand what needs to be done during our time together. 

Here are a few questions to help you clarify your desired outcome:

• What do you want, specifically?
• How will you know when you’ve reached it?
• How will reaching this outcome change your life?
• Is it worth what it’ll take to get there?
• When you achieve this result, what else will improve?

How to set your goal and make it actionable 

Here are the steps you can take to get to a Well-Formed Outcome:

1. Ask, “what do I want?”. Make sure you state your want in the positive. For example, saying “I want to get 15 new customers” rather than, “I want to stop losing customers”.
2. Make sure your current problem and desired outcome are within your control. For example, if you’re currently having problems raising money for your business and your desired outcome is to raise 5 million dollars, that’s not entirely in your control. 
3. Make sure your desired outcome isn’t too large. It needs to be specific and small enough that you have a chance of accomplishing it. For example, “I want to be more productive” is too vague. Something like, “I want to be more productive at work’ is more specific.
4. Ask, “what will my desired outcome do for me?”. This helps clarify your desired outcome further. For example, you might say, “I want to grow my email list”, but what you really want is a consistent stream of customers.
5. Decide how you’ll know when you’ve reached your goal. Will there be immediate evidence that you’ve reached your goal? Something that proves that the goal has been reached?  
6. Tap into your senses to experience what your desired outcome will be like. What will you see, feel, and hear when you reach your goal?
7. Ask, “how will reaching my outcome change my life?”. Be clear about and understand the positive and negative consequences of your goal. 
8. Understand how this goal will affect your family, friends, job, and health. Again, make sure the positive and negative consequences are clear. 
9. Figure out if this desired outcome is worth what it’ll take to get it. Again, it’s really important to be aware of the positive and negative consequences, if any. 
10. Ask, “what’s stopping me from having this outcome right now?”. This will help you understand what steps you’ll need to take or challenges you’ll need to address to move you closer to your desired outcome. 
11. Get clear on what resources you already have that can help you achieve your result. This helps you get a lay of the land so you can understand what you have to work with and can plan accordingly.
12. Ask, “how am I going to get there?” Figure out if there is more than one way to achieve your desired result. Do you have options? Different ways you can go about it? How does this relate to the resources you already have available to you?
13. Figure out what the first step you need to take is to achieve this outcome. Break everything that you need to do down from your desired result, step by step (not messing around here – get detailed AF!), all the way back until you get to the very first step you need to take. It all needs to be specific and attainable. Note: this step will probably take you the longest. 

Notice how NLP’s Well Informed Outcomes structure ensures you’re setting the right goal for yourself, and then forces you to break it down step by step so that you know you’re taking action on the right things in the right order? If you’re struggling with how to set or achieve goals, this model will help you do both.