SMART goals are a popular framework for setting clear, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely objectives. These steps are adaptable to any type of goal you want to set, whether it’s personal, academic, financial, or professional.
The acronym SMART stands for:
- Specific: Your goal should be clear and specific, answering the who, what, where, why, and which questions.
- Measurable: You need a way to measure your progress and determine when you’ve achieved your goal.
- Achievable: Your goal should be realistic and attainable, not impossible to reach.
- Relevant: Your goal should align with other objectives you have and be relevant to your overarching plans.
- Time-bound: You need a deadline to create a sense of urgency and help prioritize your tasks.
Here’s a quick example:
Instead of saying “I want to get fit,” you could say “I will exercise for 30 minutes, 5 days a week, for the next 3 months to improve my fitness.”
This way, your goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound!
To set achievable SMART goals, follow these 8 steps:
- Define your long-term goal.
- Set specific and measurable goals.
- Break goals down into actionable steps.
- Ensure goals are achievable.
- Align goals with your values.
- Set timelines for each goal.
- Monitor your progress regularly.
- Celebrate your achievements.
Want to read more books this year? Here it is broken down into SMART steps:
- Specific: “I want to read more books.”
- Measurable: “I will read one book per month.”
- Achievable: “I will allocate 30 minutes each day to reading.”
- Relevant: “Reading will improve my knowledge and relaxation.”
- Time-bound: “I will read 12 books by the end of the year.”
Don’t forget to celebrate your achievement when you accomplish your goal!
This infographic is great for visualizing the process of making SMART goals for yourself:
How can these SMART goals motivate you and align with your new year resolutions?
