Measurable Goals

In the business world, there is a mnemonic acronym called SMART which is meant to teach how to set goals.  The letters S and M stand for Specific and Measurable, and I’ve often heard emphasized the fact that goals must be measurable.  The idea goes something like this: if you can’t measure a goal because it is too vague then you don’t really have anything specific to work towards or to evaluate against to see if goals have been reached.  

For example, missionaries are encouraged in Preach My Gospel to set numeric goals relating to the number of people they are going to find, to teach, to bring to Church, etc.  These goals are to be “specific” and to be “measured” to evaluate performance and it’s immediately obvious at the end of the week whether though goals have been met.  I understand this concept and I think it makes sense in many cases.  But I also think that focusing only on measurable goals can distort what we are really striving for because it pushes us to set goals based on what can be evaluated, which may not be what we are really striving for.  For example, we might really want to become more charitable and so we search for some kind of related activity for which we can set a goal (e.g. give away so much money each month to the poor).  But it’s very possible that even if we succeeded in doing that goal perfectly we might have no more charity in our heart than when we started.  President Uchtdorf spoke about this in the last general conference and told a story of a stake that set goals “focused either on lofty and impressive declarations or on numbers and percentages.”  After reflection the stake president wondered if these goals would really “make a difference in the lives of these members?”  So they decided to make new goals, “recognizing that success with these new goals could not always be measured, or at least not by man—for how does one measure personal testimony, love of God, or compassion for others?”  President Uchtdorf then cited this quotation from Albert Einstein: “Many of the things you can count, do not count. Many of the things you cannot count, really do count” (On Being Genuine, April 2015).  In other words, the most important things in life that we strive for may not lend themselves to measurable, specific, countable goals.  I think we see this in the Savior’s teachings.  He gave this “goal” for the Nephites to strive for: “What manner of men ought ye to be?  Verily I say unto you, even as I am” (3 Nephi 27:27).  We can certainly set measurable goals which will help us to be like Christ, but ultimately they will fall short and we should not lose focus of this ultimate objective of our life.  I like the way that Preach My Gospel puts it: “The ultimate measure of success is not in achieving goals alone but in the service you render and the progress of others. Goals are a means of helping you bring about much good among Heavenly Father’s children.”  Specific, measurable goals have their place to help us progress, but we must not forget that what the Savior cares most about is, according to President Uchtdorf, “the condition of our heart.”  And that’s only something that He can measure.