In this short video post recorded on New Year's Eve 2013, Mark discusses SMART goals — specifically whether your goals for the new year are measurable and attainable.

The Key Points

Mark was heading into 2014 with a list of goals, including losing weight using a Fitbit and blogging about the journey on a new niche site. But before diving into execution, he wanted to remind listeners about two critical elements of effective goal setting.

Make your goals measurable. The M in SMART stands for measurable. If you cannot track your progress throughout the year, you will not know whether you are on track or falling behind. A goal like “grow my business” is vague. A goal like “earn $500 per month from affiliate sites by June” gives you something concrete to measure against.

Make your goals attainable. The A in SMART stands for attainable. Setting goals that are too ambitious will demotivate you when you inevitably fall short. Better to set a challenging but realistic goal and build on that success than to aim so high that you give up by February.

Mark encouraged listeners to write their goals down and review them regularly throughout the year. This simple practice of documenting and revisiting goals dramatically increases the likelihood of follow-through.

What Has Changed Since This Post

Mark published this on December 31, 2013.

Goal-setting frameworks have expanded beyond SMART. While SMART goals remain useful, many entrepreneurs in 2026 prefer systems-based approaches (as advocated by James Clear in Atomic Habits), OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), or quarterly planning sprints. The shift has been from setting annual goals toward building habits and systems that produce results continuously.

Digital tools for goal tracking have proliferated. In 2013, tracking goals often meant spreadsheets or pen and paper. In 2026, tools like Notion, Todoist, and dedicated goal-tracking apps make it easier than ever to set measurable targets and review progress regularly.

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