Be Smart: How To Set Activism Goals

Tags: action plan, goals, motivation, performance, SMART goals

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The Activist for Activists. Author of Make a Difference with Mental Health Activism and The Happy Activist: Journey the 5-Step Activism Path to Focus Your Passion and Change the World. Teacher, Psychologist, Environmental Activist, Animal Lover.

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Be Smart: How To Set Activism Goals

In my field of psychology, being able to predict human behavior is rarely straightforward. We are complicated. The answers to psychology questions such as, “Why don’t people speak out about racism?” often start with, “Well, it depends…”

Although predicting how humans behave is difficult, in one area we can do a pretty good job of forecasting.

We are motivated and perform better when we set goals. Especially if they are specific and moderately difficult.

Why Do Goals Work?

Setting goals means better performance. Goals rouse your motivation by directing your attention and emotions. They focus your effort, so you work on the right activities. If the goals are challenging, you are even more energized and persistent.

And when you achieve the goal, you feel satisfied and have a better opinion of your abilities.

SMART Goals

Research shows that we work harder on goals that are specific rather than those that are phrased as “do your best.”

Use SMART goals. The SMART acronym stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely.

Specific: Be clear about the behavior you will perform.

Measurable: Make it specific enough that you can measure whether you accomplished it.

Achievable: Make sure your behavior can be achieved.

Relevant: Ensure your behavior moves you forward in your cause.

Timely: List when will you perform this action.

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Goals and feedback are enormous boosts for performance in any part of your life.

Using SMART Goals in Activism

Have a few SMART goals in place as you begin your activism work. Create a plan to guide your focus so you can make the most impact possible on your cause.

Times you should set SMART goals:

When you are ready to contact an organization to volunteer.
To be clear about what you want to accomplish in your first week, month, and year of activism.
When you want to measure the amount of change you make.
To monitor your stress levels before they get overwhelming.

[Please share this post with a friend who needs SMART goals.]

An Activism SMART Goal Example

Here is an example. Beth is getting started in her activism and sets a SMART goal for her first year:

Specific: “I will lobby my state elected officials about broad gun control issues and about any anti-gun control bills filed.”

Measurable: “I will discuss the issues with my representatives in person, if possible.”

Achievable: “I will plan trips to the state capital when my representatives are in session. For emergency lobbying, I will travel, if possible, but otherwise will contact their local offices.”

Relevant: “This is a great match for my passions and gifts.”

Timely: “My planned trips will be in April and September. My emergency lobbying will be as needed.”

Be SMART

As you begin your activism journey, take time to set SMART goals. Then later, you will check back against these goals and hopefully recognize the impact you’ve had.

Learn more about how to find your passion and change the world.