S.M.A.R.T.

A

-Goals should be ATTAINABLE. A goal should be something to strive and reach for but something that is achievable and attainable. For example, completing an Associate's Degree in one year may not be attainable while working full time with a family. Ask yourself if you have the time, money, resources and talent to make it happen Weigh the effort, time and other costs your goal will take against the benefits and other priorities you have in life. You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps.

M

-Goals should be MEASURABLE. Break your goal down into measurable elements so you have concrete evidence of your progress. Using numbers, quantities or time is a good way to ensure measurability. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience success! To determine if your goal is measurable, ask... How much? How many? How often? How will I know when it is accomplished?

R

-Goals should be REALISTIC. Your goal should be realistic and relevant. Ask yourself if your goal and timeline is realistic for your life, why is the goal important to you, and what is the objective behind your goal? What makes the goal worthwhile to YOU? Be sure the goal is relevant to you. Why is this goal important to you? (Make sure your goal aligns with your values.) What are the benefits and rewards of accomplishing this goal? Why will you be able to stay committed in the long-run? Is it something that will still be important to you a month or year from now?

S

-Goals should be SPECIFIC. What exactly do you want to achieve? Avoid vague terms like "good," and "more." The more specific you are, the most likely you are to succeed. A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal, 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.

T

-Goals should be TIMEABLE. Your goal should have a clear deadline. This will help you stay accountable and motivated. Keep the timeline realistic but also a little challenging to create a sense of accountability and avoid procrastination. With no deadline, there's no sense of urgency, which leads to procrastination. "Someday," "soon," and "eventually" are not deadlines. Be specific with each deadline for each step along the way.

When writing your goals, follow these SMART guidelines. You should literally...

Write them down ( because the act of finding the best words to describe your goals helps you think more clearly about them. )