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Key Takeaways: achieve your goals using the SMART Criteria
- Boost productivity with SMART goals: setting Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals helps focus effort and achieve better results over time.
- Gain clarity and motivation: SMART goals bring structure to ambition, making it easier to track progress, stay motivated, and build confidence that milestones can be reached.
- Tailor goals to fit your life: SMART goals ensure personal and professional ambitions align with your current skills, timeline and resources.
- Discover how to avoid goal-setting pitfalls: SMART goals can limit creativity or long-term vision if misused – so regularly evaluate and adapt them to ensure they stay effective and flexible.
Without a destination in mind and a clear plan of how to get there, many people can spend their lives drifting from one job to another, or rushing around trying to get more done. While actually accomplishing very little.
Setting SMART goals means you can clarify your ideas, focus your efforts, use your time and resources productively, and increase your chances of achieving what you want in life.
In this article, we'll explore what SMART goals are, we'll look at how you can use them to achieve your objectives, and we've included a downloadable template and a worked example to help you on your way.
Learn how to set SMART goals with our video and transcript.
What Are SMART Goals?
SMART Goals are a well-established tool that you can use to plan and achieve your goals. SMART is an acronym that guides your goal setting, ensuring they are clear and reachable. Each one should be:
- Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
- Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
- Achievable (agreed, attainable).
- Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
- Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).
Its criteria are commonly attributed to Peter Drucker's Management by Objectives concept. The first-known use of the term was in the November 1981 issue of Management Review by George T. Doran.
Later, Professor Robert S. Rubin (Saint Louis University) stated that SMART has come to mean different things to different people, as shown above. Professor Rubin also noted that the definition of the SMART acronym may need updating to reflect the importance of efficacy and feedback. [1]
However, some authors have expanded it to include extra focus areas; SMARTER, for example, includes Evaluated and Reviewed.
What Are the SMART Criteria?
SMART Criteria
S
Specific
What will you achieve? What will you do?
M
Measurable
What data will you use to decide whether you've met the goal?
A
Achievable
Are you sure you can do this? Do you have the right skills and resources?
R
Relevant
Does the goal align with those of your team or organization? How will the result matter?
T
Time-bound
What is the deadline for accomplishing the goal?
How to Write a SMART Goal
Paul J. Meyer, businessman, author and founder of Success Motivation International, describes the characteristics of SMART goals in his 2003 book, "Attitude Is Everything: If You Want to Succeed Above and Beyond." [2]
We'll expand on his definitions to explore how to create, develop and achieve your goals:
1. Specific
Your goal should be clear and specific, otherwise you won't be able to focus your efforts or feel truly motivated to achieve it. When drafting your goal, try to answer the five "W" questions:
- What do I want to accomplish?
- Why is this goal important?
- Who is involved?
- Where is it located?
- Which resources or limits are involved?
Example of a Specific Goal
Imagine that you are currently a marketing executive, and you'd like to become head of marketing. A specific goal could be, "I want to gain the skills and experience necessary to become head of marketing within my organization, so that I can build my career and lead a successful team."
2. Measurable
It's important to have measurable goals, so that you can track your progress and stay motivated. Assessing progress helps you to stay focused, meet your deadlines, and feel the excitement of getting closer to achieving your goal.
A measurable goal should address questions such as:
- How much?
- How many?
- How will I know when it is accomplished?
Example of a Measurable Goal
You might measure your goal of acquiring the skills to become head of marketing by determining that you will have completed the necessary training courses and gained the relevant experience within five years' time.
3. Achievable
Your goal also needs to be realistic and attainable to be successful. In other words, it should stretch your abilities but still remain possible.
When you set an achievable goal, you may be able to identify previously overlooked opportunities or resources that can bring you closer to it.
An achievable goal will usually answer questions such as:
- How can I accomplish this goal?
- How realistic is the goal, based on other constraints, such as financial factors?
Example of an Achievable Goal
You might need to ask yourself whether developing the skills required to become head of marketing is realistic, based on your existing experience and qualifications.
For example, do you have the time to complete the required training effectively? Are the necessary resources available to you? Can you afford to do it?
Tip:
Beware of setting goals that someone else has power over. For example, "Get that promotion!" depends on who else applies, and on the recruiter's decision. But "Get the experience and training that I need to be considered for that promotion" is entirely down to you.
4. Relevant
This step is about ensuring that your goal matters to you, and that it also aligns with other relevant goals. We all need support and assistance in achieving our goals, but it's important to retain control over them.
So, make sure that your plans drive everyone forward, but that you're still responsible for achieving your own goal.
A relevant goal can answer "yes" to these questions:
- Does this seem worthwhile?
- Is this the right time?
- Does this match our other efforts/needs?
- Am I the right person to reach this goal?
- Is it applicable in the current socio-economic environment?
Example of a Relevant Goal
You might want to gain the skills to become head of marketing within your organization, but is it the right time to undertake the required training, or work toward additional qualifications? Are you sure that you're the right person for the head of marketing role? Have you considered your partner's goals?
For example, if you want to start a family, would completing training in your free time make this more difficult?
5. Time-bound
Every goal needs a target date, so ensure that you have a deadline to focus on and something to work toward. This part of the SMART goal criteria helps to prevent everyday tasks from taking priority over your longer-term goals.
A time-bound goal will usually answer these questions:
- When?
- What can I do six months from now?
- What can I do six weeks from now?
- What can I do today?
Example of a Time-bound Goal
Gaining the skills to become head of marketing may require additional training or experience, as we mentioned earlier. How long will it take you to acquire these skills? Do you need further training, so that you're eligible for certain exams or qualifications?
It's important to give yourself a realistic time frame for accomplishing the smaller goals that are necessary to achieving your final objective.
Used with Permission from The Meyer Resource Group,® Inc.
The Pros and Cons of SMART Goals
SMART is an effective tool that provides the clarity, focus and motivation you need to achieve your goals. It can also improve your ability to reach them by encouraging you to define your objectives and set a completion date.
SMART goals are also easy to use by anyone, anywhere, without the need for specialist tools or training.
Various interpretations of SMART have meant that it can lose its effectiveness or be misunderstood. Some people believe that SMART doesn't work well for long-term goals because it lacks flexibility, while others suggest that it might stifle creativity.
SMART Goals: a Road to Success
SMART goals offer a powerful, structured approach to turning vague ambitions into clear, actionable steps. This helps individuals and teams stay focused, motivated and accountable throughout their journey.
Ultimately, SMART goals aren’t just about productivity; they’re about creating a meaningful roadmap to success.
Frequently Asked Questions About SMART Goals
What does SMART stand for?
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
What about SMARTER goals?
In this expanded acronym, the E stands for Evaluated, and the R for Reviewed.
Who invented SMART goals?
The SMART goals concept is commonly attributed to Peter Drucker, author of Management by Objectives. The first-known use of the term was in the November 1981 issue of Management Review by George T. Doran.
How do I write a SMART goal plan?
- Start by asking exactly what you need to accomplish. This will make your goal specific.
- Quantify your goals. Measurable goals are easier to track, so build in milestones.
- Your goal should be achievable. Is this something you can do with the resources at your disposal?
- Think why you’re setting this goal. How will it improve your life or career? This is what makes it relevant.
- Know exactly when you’ll have reached your goal. Have a firm schedule and stick to it.
Record your own SMART goals using the downloadable template below.
Download Template
References[1] Rubin, R. (2002).
'Will the Real SMART Goals Please Stand Up?', The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist. Available
here. [Accessed January 27, 2016.]
[2] Meyer, Paul J. (2003). 'Attitude Is Everything: If You Want to Succeed Above and Beyond,' Waco, TX: Meyer Resource Group.
