The S.M.A.R.T goal setting framework

A hustler from our audience messaged me about how he was doing the 100 Days of Code challenge for the past 7 weeks.

You absolutely read that right.

7 WEEKS.

7 weeks (almost 50 days) is enough to get halfway through the challenge, and he just failed it for the sixth time in a row.

Feel bad for him.

But after having a conversation with him for some time, I figured out exactly what he was doing wrong.

I asked him to get on a call with me.

After 40 minutes of conversation, I gave him a game plan, as he had just gotten the 100DaysOfCode journal (plus).

And just 25 days later, he’s killing it.

I am following his journey on X almost on a daily basis; he got to day 4 or 5 and quit because he couldn’t keep up with the pace.

But the underlying problem was different.

He was doing 1 small thing wrong, because of which he was failing the challenge.

In the beginning of the call, I asked him about his daily routine and the beginning of the challenge.

He told me he set 5 big goals to achieve by Day 100 and just started the challenge right away.

This is a huge mistake—the worst mistake you could ever make. Setting goals is the first and most important step in starting a new journey.

Another guy messaged me about exactly how to start their journey as a coder, being an absolute beginner.

And I tell everyone the same thing: set small and measurable goals.

I used to make the same mistake when starting out.

Set huge goals and a vision for where I want to get by the 100th day of the challenge but fail.

Fail every time because of how big the mountain was.

The mountain I needed to climb before I reached my destination.

But this can be easily tackled by 1 thing.

setting S.M.A.R.T goals.

What does that mean? I’ll tell you.

1. S:

Specifically, when I set a goal, let’s say I want to become a frontend developer in 100 days, I won’t set a goal like, Become a frontend developer. WRONG. Instead, do a simple thing: in the first 5 days, I want to learn about HTML.

In which case are you more likely to achieve it?

Of course, the latter.

2. M:

Measurable, Can I measure the goal of becoming a frontend developer? NO.
What decides that I have become a frontend developer? Getting a job or building a webapp? what else?

But learning HTML? It’s easily measurable; if I gain good knowledge about HTML and can build a landing page, I have achieved my goal.

3. A:

Achievable: Is becoming a job-ready full-stack developer possible in 100 days? Nah. Only a paranoid would dream of it in 100 days, but learning HTML, CSS, and JS? 100% possible.

4. R:

Relevant. Nothing to explain here; set goals relevant to what you want to achieve; someone with 10 IQs would know this.

5. T:

Time-bound, setting deadlines is extremely important if you really want to get somewhere in life. It forces you to work and forces you to put in the time needed to get where you want, or else you’re just a sheep in the herd who daydreams about things.

Exactly this is what I told him; he then proceeded to set goals using the tracker in the guide:

He set goals using the S.M.A.R.T. framework, and has already gotten into phase 2.

This is how you win; taking small steps to win, taking action, showing up daily, that’s literally all there is.

When I failed my challenge 2 times, and succeeded in the third, I improved on my daily action and then, I got to day 100.

It’s all about improving slowly, don’t expect to change things upside down in 1 day, or even 10 days, it takes time.

Finally, but not least, CONSISTENCY.

You cannot lose if you show up daily; luck happens when you show up every day, regardless of how you feel that day.

Luck happens when preparation meets opportunity.

That’s how you win.

And if you want to do the same, your way out of the beginner hell is easy.

No BS guide, no tutorials, no checklist cringe, 1 system to set you up for learning anything.

The 100DaysOfCode journal.

You can learn how to set effective goals, stay consistent with coding, begin your build-in public journey, progress immensely as a programmer, and get job opportunities as well.

OR

Stay where you are, stagnant, while others using the journal are progressing at godspeed, and you still worry about showing up daily.

You decide.

Anyway, here’s where you can get it, If you’re a student, reply to this email ASAP, and I’ll set you up with a small discount from my side as well.

🔗 The full guide (journal)

It has been used by the top developers you follow on social media as well. Don’t believe me?

Click here.

I’ll see you in the next one with even more value, hope you’re crushing it hustlers.

-Atharva