Setting SMART Goals

How do you set meaningful goals that you can actually achieve? Many people rely on the SMART goal setting method. SMART is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. SMART goals set you up for success, push you further, give you a sense of direction and help you organize and reach your goals. You can use the smart method to reach academic or personal goal by following a few simple steps.

The secret to reaching your goals? Make them specific and well-defined. For example, instead of setting a goal to get better grades this year, you should define what grades each course you hope to achieve. 

Be as detailed as possible. Here are some questions you’ll want to answer when defining your goal:

• What do I want to accomplish?
• Why is this goal important?
• What do I need to do to meet the objective?
• Who is involved?
• When do I want to accomplish this goal?
• What are the obstacles to reaching this goal?

To hold yourself accountable, make your goals measurable. Is passing the class enough, or do you want a specific grade?

Plan out what steps need to be taken to get the grade then. For example, each week, if you have to read two chapters, complete one assignment, participate in one discussion, and take a quiz, you’ll have 16 readings, eight assignments, eight discussions, and eight quizzes throughout an entire term. Finding the total number allows you to keep track of your progress.

For more abstract goals, such as studying enough to pass an exam, set a minimum study time, and hold yourself accountable. 

Think about these questions when writing your goal:

• How can you measure progress?
• How will you know you have been successful?

When goal-setting, you should push yourself outside your comfort zone and make goals that will challenge you. But it’s equally important to set goals that are realistic and attainable. You must be willing to work to attain your goals, but you must also be able to achieve your goals. 

Consider this example; your goal is to make the varsity soccer team. But you’re a freshman, and the coach never allows first-year students to join the varsity team. In that case, shooting for the junior varsity team might be a more reasonable goal. This will set you up to make the varsity squad in your sophomore, junior, or senior year when you’ve gained more experience. 

Use these questions to help you draft your goals:

• Do you have the skills required to attain the goal?
• If you do not have the skills necessary, can you obtain them in a timely manner?
• What is the motivation for this goal? Is it worth the required effort?

A relevant goal is results-focused. It’s not just an activity or an exercise. Your goal should help you advance in some way, either academically, professionally, or personally. Additionally, the steps you take to achieve your goal should be relevant to the goal itself.

Think about these questions when drafting your goals:

• Why are you setting this goal?
• Is it aligned with your overall objectives?
• What are the relevant steps you can take to achieve this goal?

A goal should always have a defined deadline. Without a timeframe, there is no sense of urgency, and you’re unlikely to attain it. As a student, you live in the framework of school semesters and years, so these can be suitable units of measurement to judge your progress. As a professional, your life isn’t framed so neatly. When drafting professional goals, you must define your deadlines more carefully.

Use these questions to help you draft time-bound goals.

• What is your deadline to complete the goal?
• Is your deadline realistic when considering your planned activities?