R is for Reward
The finish line isn't just a destination. It's proof of everything you put in to get there.
“Nothing feels so good as when you've succeeded at something you set out to do.”
We made it. Seven letters, seven posts, and one very important journey. If you've been following this series from the beginning, you'll know that back in January we started with a goal — a triathlon in July. And as I write this, sitting in the garden with an iced coffee and a medal around my neck, I can tell you: it happened.
R is for Reward. And it might just be my favourite letter of the lot.
The Reward Is More Than the Finish Line
Yes, crossing the finishing line yesterday felt incredible. But the reward isn't just the medal. It's everything the medal represents.
The early mornings. The training sessions when motivation was nowhere to be found. The discipline of showing up anyway. The setbacks, the adjustments, the moments of doubt — and the decision to keep going despite all of them. That journey is as much a part of the reward as the finish line itself.
When you achieve something you genuinely set out to do, you're not just celebrating the result. You're celebrating the person you became in the process of getting there.
Goals Should Be Short Term
Here's something I believe strongly: goals work best when they're focused and time-bound. A goal that stretches on indefinitely isn't really a goal — it's a vague intention. The power of the SMARTER framework is that it gives your goal a shape, a deadline, and a finish line you can actually cross.
And then? You set another one.
I've already got more goals in mind. Other things I want to achieve. Because behind every goal there's a bigger vision — a picture of where you ultimately want to go. The goals are the steps. The vision is the destination. You keep setting goals, keep achieving them, keep moving forward — and the vision gets closer.
Nothing Breeds Success Like Success
When you achieve something, it changes how you see yourself. It shifts what you believe is possible. That feeling — of having done the thing you said you were going to do — is one of the most powerful motivators there is. It spurs you on to the next goal, and the next one after that.
So don't stop when you reach the finish line. Celebrate it, absolutely. Feel it fully. Then look ahead and ask: what's next?
The Takeaway From the Whole Series
If you've followed this series from S to R, you now have everything you need to turn any goal — a New Year's resolution, a business ambition, a personal challenge — into something real.
Make it Specific. Make it Measurable. Make it Achievable. Make sure it's Relevant. Give it a Time-bound deadline. Evaluate your progress along the way. And when you get there — savour the Reward.
Because you will get there. And when you do, it will feel every bit as good as you hoped it would.
This is the final post in the SMARTER Goals series. To read from the beginning, start with S is for Specific.
