STEP Goals: When SMART Goals Just aren’t so SMART

If you’ve ever struggled with traditional goal-setting frameworks like SMART goals, you’re not alone. For years, I tried to make SMART goals work for me—at school, at work, and even in my personal life—but they always felt like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, no it was worse then that, it was like trying to put on a rubber boot after I already had a running shoe on.

I now understand why, as someone with ADHD I have spent most of my life and almost all of my time in school trying to come up with alternative ways to get the results that everyone else wanted. Since I was so use to doing the same thing in a different way I thought, why not just do something completely different.

So I created something different. Something flexible, functional, and actually helpful:

I call it - STEP Goals.

So Why SMART Goals Don’t Work for Everyone

Let’s face it: SMART goals are everywhere - taught in schools, used in corporate settings, and recommended in nearly every productivity or self motivation blog. You’ve probably seen them too:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Timed

But here’s the problem: SMART goals were never designed with neurodivergent people in mind. In fact, they can actually discourage progress for people with ADHD or executive dysfunction.

For instance many ADHDers will struggle with:

• What’s the difference between attainable and realistic? If its realistic shouldn’t it be attainable.

• Why is the timeline considered last, when ADHDers often need it first? As we are often most driven by deadlines.

• What about external factor - like environment or support systems - that can make or break a goal? What about the barriers that exist outside of the task itself.

For me, following SMART goals often led to more frustration than progress. I felt boxed in, confused, or like a failure when I couldn’t check off every box - even if I did everything almost right. And truth be told I never did get the right details in the right box. An amazing perk of ADHD is that we tend to be extremely creative people and we don’t just think outside the box we just live outside the box.

The STEP Method is Designed for ADHD Minds

After years of trial and error, I developed STEP Goals—a method that builds structure without stifling creativity, encourages self-awareness, and makes room for real-life unpredictability and offers space to supports.

What does STEPS stand for?

• Specific

• Timed

• Expectations

• Process

• Success

Let’s break it down.

S = Specific

Clarity is key. Define exactly what you’re trying to achieve. The more specific the goal, the easier it is to focus your energy and avoid being overwhelm.

> ADHD Insight: Vague goals like “get healthier” don’t spark action or provide any type of dopamine drive that ADHD minds struggle with. Specific goals like “run 5 miles and do 15 pull-ups” give your brain something tangible to aim for.

T = Timed

Deadlines come second - not last. For ADHDers, time blindness is real. Whether it’s procrastination, hyper-focusing, or just living in the “now,” having a clear and early deadline helps create urgency and structure.

> ADHD Insight:  Put your deadline right up front. And if needed, set mini-deadlines along the way.

E = Expectations

This is the most versatile and important part of the STEP method. Here’s where you define:

• What you expect from yourself (what you can and can’t do on your own)

• What others can expect from you (what they can expect from you, how you may react or behave in situations or deadlines.)

• What you can expect form others (what you need from others to help you succeed)

• What support or challenges you might face in any area of this project.

> ADHD Insight: ADHDers often get thrown off by unexpected changes. Clearly setting and reviewing expectations helps prevent burnout, conflict, or paralysis when things shift. It also helps keep both the planner as well as those involved stay clear on who’s responsible for what, and who can reach out to whom when they are needing support.

P = Process

Outline the actual steps or tools you’ll use to get the job done. This includes:

• Milestones

• Resources or training

• Check-ins or support systems

> ADHD Insight: You don’t need to write an instruction manual—just map the journey well enough that you won’t get lost halfway through.

S = Success

Define what success looks like for you. Is it a completed task? A personal reward? A skill you’ll gain? You can also include milestone rewards to keep motivation high.

> ADHD Insight: Recognizing small wins along the way is key for dopamine and long-term focus.

Why STEP Goals Actually Work

STEP Goals aren’t just for people with ADHD—they’re helpful for anyone who struggles with traditional goal-setting methods.

What STEPS give you is :

• A realistic structure

• Room for adaptability

• A way to prepare for challenges

• Support planning added into the process

• A focus on progress, not just perfection

And perhaps most importantly: they remind you that success isn’t just about the outcome. It’s about effort, learning, and building systems that actually work for you.

Want to Try It?

STEPS is designed to help you map out your goals clearly—whether it’s for work, personal growth, school, or something totally unique.

You can scroll down to see a real life example I used it for.

Let me know how it works for you—or feel free to share your own STEP goal examples in the comments!

It happened to me!

Let’s look at some Real-Life example that was used in my life you’ll see how it’s different in the expectations part when it comes to working together with people. You can see that STEPS goals although run similarly to SMART goals, the type of information that is added to these different sections is where the chances make the impact. If you are interested in seeing a real life example that I have used it for you can read one below.

House renovations

Specific

The house needs some renovations for the upcoming year, roof shingles need to replaced, new automatic garage door, and fence around back yard.

Timed

Singles > need to be done this summer, end of July

Garage door > must be done before too much snow and cold weather By November

Back yard fence > must be done by Start of new school term for the elementary school next door. (September)

Expectations

Robby responsible for Shingles work -  will call for different places to get quotes and to arrange for a price and dates to be done. Robby responsible for confirming price, delivery and completion dates and is responsible to make sure someone is home during the time of construction

Lena responsible for researching different garage door companies and having a clear understanding of type and style of garage door needed, as well as one that is visual appealing to her tastes to fit with the house.

Terence: responsible for measuring the back yard to determine the size and area footage needed for fencing, responsible for finding reasonable options in a variety of materials and styles within the agreed upon price range.

Sheena Shay : responsible on confirming dates and keeping copies of all documents, contracts, and is the soul person responsible for electronic communication (all emails will be her responsible as family does not have a shared email address and is not very tech savvy)

• also responsible for research on found fencing material and online ordering as well as confirming on any permits or approval needed for property work

• Responsible for reviews and details regarding new garage door and intergraded to existing security and locks on property.

• Timely reminders request to stay focused. (if asked to email something to a company for a quote, 24 hour reminder to make sure Sheena did not forget or get distracted)

• Weekly or bi monthly check ins on files and process and communications

• Sheena has full access and approval to reach out to any team members if confirmation is needed or clarity is asked for by any outside request.

Process

Robby confirmed shingles and pricing provided Sheena with the signed paperwork needed to submit to construction company.

Sheena emailed signed copies of paperwork, also printed off and filed the agreement and payment receipt

Terence provided Sheena with 3 reasonable solutions for fencing one does not require any permit or outside construction required (other options available for this choice) 2 other options are available neither can be confirmed completed by September due to permits needed and time required for construction.

Lena has discovered that the current Garage door is in need of repair before a new automatic opener can be installed. Looking into pricing and materials if it can be bundled together. May need a larger budget so project is on hold until next year.

Success

> Shingles have been completed - construction was done, payment made in full, project is considered done and successful.

> Fence - materials agreed upon and ordered, delivery date will be quick but construction on the fence as it will be done by homeowner will take longer to complete and will not be started until later in the summer.

> Garage door has been placed on hold for next year projects and many other upgrades can be bundled with this single renovation and can be more cost effective if bundled with other proposed renovations.

> All paperwork has been filed, duplicates made and saved to be used towards future filings or taxes. Sheena has made both digital as well as hard Printed copies accessible to all team members.

ADHD INSIGHT

You will see for this project its very detailed as it was a large project and had a lot of other people needed for it. As it was a home renovation for a house that 4 people shared it was needed for everyone to be on the same page but not everyone was needed to be involved in every single detail. Since Sheena-Shay (ie me!) was responsible for keeping things organized which is something I’m Good at, as well as I’m the most tech savvy person in the house certain responsibilities fell on me but it was helpful because I was able to be helpful by using my strengths, such as online research, data collection, email communication, and keeping things organized yet I did not need to focus or worry about  a of the difficult choices that normally paralyze me. Such as pricing, or colour choices, or mathematical requirements like square footage, or even visual appearance. I was able to support the group with my strengths my needs were also expressed saying that I often needed a 24 hour reminder if I didn’t complete or confirm the task ask of me, because the team knew I often got distracted and them reminding me was not criticism it was guidance and support.

A single STEP can start a journey.

STEPS can also be used to help explain things, I often use STEPS as a process in my job. I work with students, in a post secondary school. Often they reach out to me when they have a problem or are struggling. Ok, the truth…. mostly it’s always because they have a problem or are struggling with something, it’s never just to say ‘Hi everything is great I’m having a wonderful day. Bye’, and when they do come, they always have lots and lots of questions. I use STEPS with them when I’m dealing with any type of complex situation that possibly has turned into a very stressful situation for the student.

Once I have meet a student and we have been able to discuss their situation and we know what needs to happen next I usually follow up with them, in person or via email with a summary. The summary is always presented in a STEPS format without really having the STEPS layout.

For example,

A student applied to the school, and their application was cancelled for not meeting the entrance requirements of the program. The student was devastated and was very overwhelmed in the situation. Once I was able to review their case, and realized that in this situation there was a possible positive outcome, we discussed what needed to be done, it was presented to them as follows.

Your application was cancelled because you did not meet the entrance requirements in the Math, and Chemistry courses, the good news is there is still room in the program, and they are still accepting applications. You also have time to still correctly provide proof of the requirements and to have your application reviewed. The first thing you will need to do is to fill out this form (I provided them the link in an email but also provided them with the printed hard copy). You will need to submit this form within 7 days in order for your original application to be reopened. If you fail to complete this, your applications will be closed and removed. You will have to re-apply to the program with a new application, this will result in new application fees and your application being placed behind others that have applied already. Once you have submitted the application form to have your old application reviewed, our admissions team will take about 2 weeks to update your application on your student portal. Once your application has been reinstated you will then have 30 days to supply proof of your missing entrance requirements, you can do this by submitted proof of enrolment using this pathway (which I then provided in detail the process of submitting forms) or you can provide official documentation of any completed entrance requirements that were not provided with your original application. Failing to provide evidence of these missing entrance requirements will result in your application being closed a second time. If this were to happen, we would not be able to re-open your application a third time. Once you have submitted your documentation with in that 30 day deadline, our admissions team will update your application within 3 weeks. You will be provided with a result of your acceptance status.

As you can see in this situation STEPS was used, I have highlighted the statements below:

Specifics > your application was canceled because….. / You can have your application reviewed again by……

Timed > 7 days to fill out the review form / 30 days to provide missing requirements / 2 weeks for school to update application review status / 3 weeks for school to provide them with an answer

Expectations > student: to provide proper request form, to provide correct documentation. School > to allow for a second chance and review the application again, failure to meet the requests of the school will result in consequences.

Process > how it will be reviewed, and what is needed, how long it will take

Success > the final answer to the acceptance.

As you can see STEPS can be very versatile. I myself use it often and it has become almost a natural thought process for me. When talking to someone and they ask me for a task or work asks for a project I automatically start breaking it down into the STEPS process.

(Keep scrolling for more topic examples …………)

Whether you use STEPS or not, if SMART goals work for you that’s fantastic! Anyway you find success to work on planning just remember that the rules that were developed for “everyone” were really only developed for the “majority” it’s not really for every different person, it’s just for those that have the most in common. So if you’re an uncommon thinker like me, don’t feel bad that the common processes don’t work for you, remember you can create your own unique process for your unique situation.

I hope you enjoyed this post, remember

Slay it YOUR way!

Sheena Shay.

Examples of STEP Goals and see how they apply.

Personal Health Goal

Specific: Lose 15 lbs, run 5 miles, do 15 pull-ups.

Timed: Complete by October 20, this year

Expectations:

For me: Work out 3x/week, meal plan, still try to work out even if its only 5 mins 3 days a week. Keep peer group updated for extra support and reminders.

For Other: roommate will help meal plan with me, and provide peer support for going to the gym,

Process: Gym on Mondays, home workouts 2x/week (Thursdays and Saturdays), - prepare meals every Sunday, with roommate,

- use an app that helps track workouts and plans activities

Success: completed 1 week of full commitment = New lunch kit for work

Completed 2 weeks of full commitment = new gym outfit

Completed 3 weeks of full commitment = Share progress with support peers, for extra motivation

One month full commitment = Celebrate with roommate movie date

ADHD insight > you’ll see that the goal is clearly set out, the deadline is very clearly stated. The expectations are stated, although when its a personal self improvement goal expectations can be harder to have others involved in. The process is a more detailed list of things that need to be done, what date, what time, a schedule. And finally success is listed for anything that can be motivating.

_________

Work Project Goal

Specific

Submit a departmental performance report for the last year to our director showcasing the impact of implemented changes

Timed

Due in 6 months (February 12 meeting) ; draft due 1 month before for supervisor and manager to review (December 20 as holiday breaks will prolong the review process) . Progress status presented within 3 months (October 27 for a rough draft ready for review and changes)

Expectations:

- For me: collaborate with the team to obtain the correct information and data, deliver monthly updates to supervisor on progress. Request feedback for guidance on areas where struggling or challenges arise.

- For Supervisor: monthly reminders a week before check that a check in is required. Open constructive feedback on areas that are not clear, or underdeveloped.

- For team mates: follow up on data provide to insure I received it. Discuss data provided to insure that a correct understanding of the data.

Process:

• Collect data form each team lead, and compile it in the formate used in past reports,

• Confirm template that report format needs to be completed in and follow style guidelines.

• Provide a process report once all material and data has been collected and present it to supervisor to confirm that all data is correct and nothing is missing

• Create template layout, confirm layout report formatting is correct then start inputting data and notes.

• Provide a rough draft to team leads of their data to confirm that it was interpreted correctly

• Provide a rough draft to supervisor - request a detailed feedback within one week

• Make corrections or changes as needed and complete the project by the December date for Mangers or review and become comfortable with report

• Submit completed report and any visual aids that may be requested for the date of the presentation.

Success:

• On-time submission,

• clarity in results,

• potential presentation materials completed one week before meeting

⸻

Student Goal

Specific: Apply to 5 post secondary schools (university, college or polytechnic)

Timed: Application dates open up for all school of choice on October 1st, submit all applications in the correct process.

Have them completed no later then November 1

Expectations:

Be aware of all entrance requirements needed for each program and school,

Have all proper documents ready to submit with application for proof the requirements,

Ask teacher for recommendations, gather transcripts, research scholarships.

Process:

• Create calendar for each school’s deadline, draft personal statement by Sept 15 and confirm all entrance requirements for programs of choice

• Book a meeting with school guidance Councillor by September 25.

• Book follow up meeting with guidance councillor on November 25 to confirm that applications have no outstanding needs or errors.

• Reach out to schools applied to once application has been reviewed to confirm status or any other questions regarding the status of application or approval.

Success:

Applications submitted,

backup plan prepared,

celebrate with family dinner for any accepted options