Examples of SMART Goals

How SMART are you?

SMART goals are used to make it easier to achieve your goals. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.

A goal such as “I want to write a book” is vague. Vague goals lack plans and a way to track progress. It also doesn’t have a timeline to it. Setting a goal is one thing but having a plan and a deadline is what makes the goal attainable.

I will share with you some very good examples of SMART goals.

Example of SMART goal – saving money

Specific: My specific goal is to save $1000 in 2 months.
Measurable: I’ll measure my progress by saving $125 each week.
Attainable: I’ll set-up automatic transfers of $125 each week from my checking to my savings account.
Realistic: Realistically, I tend to spend money if it’s in my checking account. Setting up the auto-transfer will keep more from touching my money.
Timely: I’ll achieve my goal of saving $1000 in 2 months.

This is a perfect example of a SMART goal. It is clear, has a plan and a timeline.

Example of SMART goal – gaining weight

Specific: My specific goal is to gain 10 pounds of weight, primarily muscle.
Measurable: My progress will be measured weekly so each week I need to gain at least 1.25 pounds.
Attainable: To achieve this goal, I will eat an extra 700 calories a day, and lift weights 4 times a week.
Realistic: I will adjust my calorie intake and workouts accordingly after each week.
Timely: My time-line to achieve this goal is 2 months.

This is an excellent SMART goal because it is very realistic. The person will adjust their calorie intake so if one week they didn’t gain enough weight, they know what to do next week to get back on track so they meet their deadline for accomplishing their SMART goal.

Example of SMART goal – writing a book

Specific: I want to write a book on my life story.
Measurable: The book will be 150 pages of content so and I will measure my progress monthly.
Attainable: If I finish 12 and a half pages a month, I will have 150 pages by my deadline.
Realistic: At times it can be difficult for me to get my thoughts on paper, so I’m giving myself a lot of time to finish.
Timely: I’m allowing 12 months to finish this book. 12.5 pages a month is 150 pages in one year.

This example a of SMART goal is fantastic as well. If you’ve noticed, one thing these SMART goals have in common is that the people are very honest with themselves.

When you are honest, then you can set goals that you know and believe you can achieve. Sometimes we can get ahead of ourselves and set huge goals that we would like to achieve, but are almost impossible to achieve because of our beliefs or schedule restrictions.

Example of SMART goal – getting a promotion

Specific: My specific goal is to get qualified for a promotion to a manager’s position.
Measurable: Each week, I will write a report outlining how I’ve improved my skills and present it to my manager.
Attainable: My boss is aware of this, and together we will create a plan to work on my weaknesses.
Realistic: With the weekly reports, my manager will know I’m serious and can see what I’ve learned.
Timely: I will complete this goal in 12 weeks.

A clear example of a SMART goal. I really like this one because the person goes the extra mile with the weekly reports to accomplish this goal. Things like this may seem unnecessary but I believe it’s impressive.

Important rules for SMART goals

From these examples of SMART goals, you’ve seen that your goals need to be clear. Using the SMART goal formula will help you think deeper about your goals and come up with an attainable action plan.

Another important step is to believe that you can achieve these goals and create a plan based on that. Your goals must be realistic to you.

Also, make sure you write down these goals. If you fail to write it down, you might even fail to accomplish it. Read it everyday so that you are always reminded what your intention is.

#1 by Tony on October 15th, 2009

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I learned about S.M.A.R.T. goals through my jobs. I find it very effective. It helps me lay out a plan and makes me more focused about my goals.

#2 by Faizal Nisar on October 15th, 2009

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Thank you both for reading.

SMART goals are a very good way of setting goals that you are serious about accomplishing.

#3 by a on October 15th, 2009

good examples you provide.

#4 by knallan on October 18th, 2009

Very good examples! I totally agree, specially with the second example.

In my opinion SMART goals are very useful and we need to apply these principles when making goals that we really want to achieve.

#5 by Mark Foo | 77SuccessTraits.com on October 22nd, 2009

S.M.A.R.T is indeed a powerful goal setting formula. It can be used to set goals for your career, business or personal aspirations.

I agree that the more speciﬁc you make your goal, the more likely you’ll identify with it – and the more likely you’ll achieve it!

The more measurable your goal is, the more likely you’ll be able to measure
your progress along the way. Measurements like the amount of weight lost,
revenue earned, number of clients gained, or any speciﬁc number that you
can tangibly count or assess with objective ﬁgures is a measurable goal.

Setting unattainable goals is an exercise in futility. When you set
attainable goals you ensure that you have adequate resources and
knowledge to achieve those goals.

Realistic goals are harder to articulate than you might think. Sometimes the
process of goal setting supports unrealistic goals, which can lead to
disappointment, failure, and the loss of your time and resources. So be
sure your goals are realistic for you, not someone else!

Goals need to be set within speciﬁc timeframes. Without timeframes,
there’s no sense of urgency, which can lead to procrastination and failure.

Hope this is helpful.

Cheers~

Mark

#6 by Faizal Nisar on October 22nd, 2009

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Hey Mark,

Thanks for your insight.

It was very helpful.

#7 by Sample Hardship Letter on January 2nd, 2010

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#8 by MrBarns on February 1st, 2010

what a great site and informative posts, I will add a backlink and bookmark your site. Keep up the good work!

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