Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals

SPECIFIC: A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal.To set a specific goal you must answer the six “W” questions:

    WHO:    Who is involved?
    WHAT:    What do I want to accomplish?
    WHERE:  Identify a location.
    WHEN:    Establish a time frame.
    WHICH:  Identify requirements and constraints
    WHY:      Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.

    EXAMPLE:
    A general goal would be, “Get in shape.” But a specific goal would say,
    “Join a health club and workout 3 times a week”.

MEASURABLE: Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress.When you
measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience exhilaration of achievement that encourages you on to continued effort
required to reach your goal. To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as... How much?
                               How many?
                               How will I know when it is accomplished?

ATTAINABLE: You can attain any goal when you plan your steps wisely and
establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may
have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become
attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to
reach them. When you list your goals, you build your self-image. You see yourself
as worthy of these goals, so you begin to develop the traits and personality that
allow you to possess them.

REALISTIC: To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which
you are both willing and able to work. your goal is probably realistic if you truly
believe that it can be accomplished. Ways to know if your goal is realistic is to
determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself
what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal.

TANGIBLE: A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the
senses, that is taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing. When your goal is tangible, you
have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable.

(adapted from Top Achievement Website)

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