How to Make SMART Goals

Last Updated on July 19, 2020 by Alicia Michelle

Perhaps you’ve heard of the power of SMART goals: Planning goals that are specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and timely?

I can testify to the power of this incredible goal setting method. Let me explain this method in detail and offer some additional resources to make it even easier for you to create SMART goals!

What Is SMART Goal Setting?

S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym that describes goals that are:

Specific
Measurable
Actionable
Realistic
Timely

The SMART goals were originally penned by George Doran in 1981 and have been widely used in various management and goal setting curricula.

Some people have different words for each part of the acronym for SMART goals, but for our purposes here we’ll use SMART goal setting to mean goals that are specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and timely.

What does each part of that SMART goal setting acronym look like? Consider the questions following each part of the SMART acronym listed below:

Specific: What is your specific goal? Be detailed.

Measurable: How will you measure success with this goal?

Actionable: What action steps do you need to take to make this goal happen?

Realistic: How can you make this goal a challenge and still keep it realistic?

Timely: What deadlines will you put on this goal to keep it timely?

More on SMART Goal Setting

Looking for some additional information about SMART goal planning? If you’d like to see some examples of SMART goals, I highly encourage you to check out this post.

What Is SMART Goal Setting?

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