HubSpot Inbound Marketing Practice Exam

Which action is NOT recommended when setting SMART goals?

1. Defining clear metrics for success

2. Setting overly ambitious targets

3. Including time-bound elements

4. Ensuring the goal is achievable

The correct answer is: Setting overly ambitious targets

When setting SMART goals, one of the critical components is to ensure that the goals are achievable. Goals should be challenging enough to inspire progress but realistic to the extent that they can be met with the available resources and capabilities. Setting overly ambitious targets can lead to frustration and demotivation, as it may result in consistently falling short of expectations. In contrast, defining clear metrics for success helps in measuring the progress effectively, including time-bound elements allows for deadlines which create urgency, and ensuring the goal is achievable provides a feasible path toward accomplishing it. All these elements are essential in the SMART framework, making them vital for creating effective and motivating goals.