The Best SMART Objectives for Freelancers (and action plan template)

SMART objectives are a way for freelancers to take control of their business. It is a goal-setting strategy designed to help individuals, teams, and businesses to be more intentional in their objectives and better set them up for success. SMART goals are a part of your Professional Development Plan.

For freelancers, SMART objectives are an incredible method for tracking progress and improving motivation. A great SMART goal gives a freelancer an action plan and deadline to make sure you are staying on track towards your long-term freelancing aspirations.

The best part? Setting SMART goals is simple, free, and easy. In this post, you’ll learn:

Let’s get started.

What are SMART Goals?

SMART is a technique used to better set goals using intention and an action plan for individuals or companies.

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Combined, these adjectives work to give shape to potential goals, ensuring that they are actively beneficial to your success.

Here’s how:

Specific: A clear and often quantifiable goal. Instead of ‘I want to make more money’, this would be ‘Increase my services and clientele’.
Measurable: There is a metric to track your success. This might be ‘gain 5 new clients’, or ‘Commit 3 hours per week to reworking my website’.
Achievable: The goal must be realistic. You are unlikely to double your revenue in a matter of weeks, so try considering a reachable percentage increase.
Relevant: Your goals should always be directly related to your larger business and freelancer objectives.
Time-Bound: Set a deadline. This might be weeks, months, or even years, but make sure to create a timeline to ensure you stay on track.

Why SMART goals are essential for Freelancer Development

SMART goals are crucial because they give you clarity and focus. As freelancers, it can be difficult to self-manage and stay on track for success. With SMART goals, however, you can more easily monitor your progress and stay motivated.

One of the hardest freelancer skills to acquire is self-discipline. Most people are used to relying on a manager or supervisor to take charge of their progress, but as a freelancer, your growth is solely down to you. This is where SMART goals come in.

When you set SMART goals, you are creating a roadmap. This acts as an additional layer of accountability as you can compare your current position to where you should be according to the SMART goal. This approach not only enhances your productivity but also boosts your confidence as you start to see results.

For freelancers specifically, there are a few things to consider:

Client Deadlines and Expectations: Client satisfaction will always be one of the most important factors when it comes to freelancing. Repeat customers are a valuable resource and something to prioritise when possible. Consider your current client retention before jumping to new client objectives.
Work-Life Balance: Freelancing, especially for those who work from home, means that work and life boundaries can get blurry. Burnout is a major challenge for freelancers so make sure that your SMART goals promote a healthy balance between work and your personal life.
Financial and Skill Development Targets: Establish clear income goals and identify specific skills to improve or acquire to stay competitive and increase marketability. Creative freelancers in particular can make the mistake of not setting specific enough objectives when it comes to business and finances, try using SWOT Analysis to establish these goals.

How to Create Freelancer SMART Goals

Now you know what a SMART goal is and why it’s important, it’s time to start considering how to tailor your own.

Step 1: Identify Specific Objectives

As a freelancer, it’s important to pinpoint exactly what you want to accomplish. Whether it’s landing a certain number of clients, completing a project milestone, or increasing your income, specificity is key.

Step 2: Define Your Success Metric

Tracking progress is essential for freelancers to ensure they’re on the right path towards their goals. Define measurable criteria that allow you to quantify your progress. For example, if your goal is to increase your monthly income, specify the exact amount you aim to earn. Likewise, if you’re aiming to expand your portfolio, set a measurable target such as completing a certain number of projects within a specified timeframe.

Step 3: What is Achievable?

It’s essential to set goals that are realistic given your current circumstances as a freelancer. Consider elements like your workload, available resources, and market fluctuations when setting objectives. Goals that are too large can overwhelm you and lead to a drop in motivation when they aren’t immediately met. Try splitting your long-term goals into short-term objectives to help move you closer to that dream client, income, or achievement.

Step 4: Align with Personal Values

All goals should be in line with your greater motivations as a freelancer like clientele, type of projects, or lifestyle. When setting goals, check if they resonate with the reasons you started freelancing in the first place, and if they’re moving you directly towards your dream life.

Step 5: Commit to a Deadline

Deadlines provide structure and accountability to your freelancing goals by establishing a clear timeline and keeping you focused and motivated. Break down larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks with deadlines attached to each and make sure to write these deadlines down. This may be in your calendar, to-do list, or project management tools like Monday.com or Trello.

Examples of Freelancer SMART Goals

To help you set your own goals and better understand the SMART metric, take a look at these freelancing SMART goal examples:

Goal: Acquire three new clients within the next two months.

Specific: This goal clearly outlines a desired outcome – acquiring three new clients.
Measurable: Success can be measured by the number of new clients secured.
Achievable: Acquiring three clients in two months is realistic based on the freelancer’s experience and available resources.
Relevant: Growing the client base is directly related to the freelancer’s business success and financial goals.
Time-bound: The timeframe of two months provides a clear deadline for achieving the goal.

Goal: Increase monthly income by 20% by the end of the fiscal year.

Specific: Increasing income by a specific percentage.
Measurable: Progress can be measured by comparing current and target income figures.
Achievable: A 20% increase in income is attainable with strategic planning and effort.
Relevant: Boosting income aligns with the freelancer’s financial aspirations and business growth objectives.
Time-bound: The deadline of the end of the fiscal year sets a clear timeframe for achieving the income increase.

Goal: Complete a professional development course in digital marketing within six months.

Specific: The goal specifies the desired action—completing a digital marketing course.
Measurable: Completion of the course serves as a tangible measure of progress.
Achievable: Completing the course within six months is feasible given the available time and resources.
Relevant: Enhancing skills in digital marketing directly contributes to the freelancer’s career advancement and marketability.
Time-bound: The timeframe of six months provides a deadline for completing the course and applying newly acquired knowledge.

To support your SMART goals journey as a freelancer, you’ll need to develop a variety of soft skills. To do this, you may want to explore my other freelancer skills-building resources such as:

I have been freelancing for over 2 years and found my development quantifiably improved when I started getting smart about my goals. Objectives create direction, deadlines promote motivation, and achievements mean growth.

Need help setting your own SMART goal? Leave a comment below or reach out to me directly.