SMART Goals

If you’re going to make a goal, why not make it SMART? Making your goal smart increases your chance for success. By limiting the ambiguity in a goal, you can focus your efforts on exactly what you want to achieve. SMART stands for:

Specific – Answer as many of these questions as possible: who, what, where, when, why, how. Explicitly state the details of what you what to achieve in a clear and easy manner.

Measurable – If you can’t measure it you can’t manage it. Figure out exactly how success will be measured. Establish the key metrics to track while you make progress.

Attainable – Set a goal that is ambitious, but still realistic. You want to challenge yourself while knowing that success is possible.

Relevant – Make sure your goal is relevant to your needs. A deep internal motivation must drive you forward in the pursuit of your goal.

Timely – Put your goal within a time frame. Make a definate start and end point to eliminate procrastination.

Some not so SMART goals:

• Get in shape
• Stop smoking
• Spend more time with the family

And some SMART goals:

• Lose 10 pounds within the next 2 months
• Only smoke one cigarette per day
• Dedicate 2 nights out of the week to be with the family

Try your best to make your goals SMART!