How To Set SMART Goals

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

How To Set SMART Goals

If you are the kind of person who likes to set goals, SMART goals are the way to go. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. In this article, I’d like to discuss each part of a SMART goal so that when you sit down to write out your goals, you will be able to have wonderful clarity.

Specific goals

Specific, as opposed to general, is the way to go when setting goals. When being specific, calculate exactly what the goal is, why you want to accomplish the goal, and how you plan on doing it.

For example, the goal, “losing weight”, is too general. Be specific. You could say, “I want to lose 20 pounds by summer,” which is more straightforward and clear.

Measurable goals

Making SMART goals requires that the goals be measurable. What this means is that you can actually see or measure progress toward the goal. For example, the goal, “I want to be a good skier,” is not really measurable. Instead, a measurable goal would be, “I want to be able to ski medium level slopes by the end of winter.”

Attainable goals

SMART goals are attainable. You are sure that you can actually attain them within a certain amount of time. If you set goals that are not attainable or in a time frame that is next to impossible, you will set yourself up for frustration and failure.

You can set milestones toward attainable goals to help you stay motivated. For example, if you want to lose 20 pounds by summer, you can set a goal to lose 5 pounds per month for four months. If you look at it this way, you will have attained your goal by summer.

Realistic goals

SMART goals are realistic. If you are a below average golfer and do not have a lot of free time to devote to golf, having a goal to become a professional golfer might not be realistic for you. If you want to begin eating healthy, having the goal of never eating sugar again might to be realistic.

Timely goals

SMART goals are timely. Try to set time limits to your goals that are realistic for you. If you have a lot of free time and can go after your goals wholeheartedly, the time frame can be shorter than if you are occupied most of your time. A mother with a full-time job and four small children may not be able to accomplish the goal of becoming fluent in Spanish in one month. She probably won’t have that much time to devote to it, so she should think about making the time frame longer so she doesn’t put too much pressure on herself.

As you go about setting your goals throughout life, remember to apply the SMART principle and you will find that you accomplish your goals more successfully.

If you haven’t set any SMART goals for yourself lately, or if your list needs some adjusting, go ahead and take some time this week to do so.

To your success,

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