Luckily, SMART goals present a much more welcome scenario. Instead of collecting dust in the deep recesses of your mind like some long-lost New Year’s resolution, SMART goals are exactly what they seem: they’re the smarter, smoother, and surer counterpart of the other hazy goals we might often set in life. So what are SMART goals? Here, we’re going to dive into the fascinating world of SMART goals and list powerful SMART goal examples that are effective and actionable. Take your pick of the best SMART goal example that clicks to you, and get a surge of daily motivation to transform your life for the better.
What Are SMART Goals and SMART Goal Examples?
S.M.A.R.T. goals are goals that are written to conform to the following criteria: Specific, Measurable, Achievable (or Attainable), Realistic (or Relevant), and Time-bound. The S.M.A.R.T. process was initially a management concept that was presented as a SMART way to create management goals as well as objectives. It was written in the following manner:
Specific: Target a specific area for improvement. Measurable: Quantify or have an indicator of progress for your measurable goals. Achievable: Specify who will do it and how. Realistic: State the results which can be achieved given your available resources. Time-related: Specify your target date or time frame when the results can be achieved.
Without following the SMART system, they may be vague goals or just mere resolutions[1]. Setting SMART goals will enable you to examine your goals more carefully. This way, you can give them more structures that can be easily tracked and implemented. However, setting a SMART goal is not enough. You need to know exactly what you should do next to help you get to your goal step-by-step. Let’s break it down.
Specific
Specific goals answer your six “wh-” questions.
Who – who is involved? What – what do you want to accomplish? Where – where will you complete the goal? When – when do you want to do it? Which – which obstacles might get in your way? Why – why are you doing it?
By identifying each element you’ll know which tools and actions you need to reach your goal. This specificity is very important. Secondly, when you reach these milestones, it will boost your confidence to go further on!
Measurable
Measurable goals pinpoint precision, They answer questions starting with “how.” Measurable goals also help you figure out if you’re headed in the right direction and, if you’re not, to help you re-align yourself in time.
Attainable
Attainable goals stretch the limit of what you think is possible. While of course not impossible, they are challenging to complete. Thus, they push you out of your comfort zone and into the realm of ambitious possibilities. The key to creating achievable goals is to take a close look at your current life and set an objective that is slightly beyond your reach.
Relevant
Relevant goals focus on what you truly desire. They are the exact opposite of inconsistent or scattered goals. These are aligned with the ongoings of your life: your career, relationships, desires, etc.
Time-bound
Time-bound goals have specific deadlines. Time-bound goals keep you grounded and challenged at the same time. The key to making sure you accomplish your goal within the deadline is to plan it backward from the deadline, working out the details as you go. Speaking of planning, the Make It Happen Handbook is an amazing tool to help you plan and achieve your goal. Now that you know what SMART goals are, let’s enlist our top contenders for the most powerful SMART goals you can start working on from today.
11 Powerful SMART Goals Examples
1. Improve Job Performance
Goal: I will re-do my company’s website design by August 15th so I can attract more clients. SMART Breakdown
Specific: I will re-do my company’s website and launch it by August 15th. Measurable: I will accomplish this by hiring two graphic designers and one web programmer. Attainable: With their skills and my own experience, I’ll attain the goal of having a functional website up and running before the official launch. I’ll do this by working on my website 5 hours per week. Relevant: Redoing my company’s website design will be the first and fundamental step in impressively showcasing my company to the world. Time-bound: I have to achieve the goal in three months, which is about 60 hours of time I will spend on revamping my site.
2. Increase Savings
Goal: For the next year, I will save 15% of every paycheck. I will multiply my savings via investment in X. SMART Breakdown
Specific: For the next year, I will save 15% of every paycheck, which is between $200-$300. Measurable: My bank will automatically take 15% and deposit it into another savings account, so I can see my progress. Attainable: Within the rest of the year, i.e. X remaining months, I will accumulate an approximate X amount by saving 15% of my earnings. Relevant: By saving 15% of my total earnings, I will accumulate $3000 amount of savings which I will then multiply via investment X. In total, this would give me a financial boost of getting me closer to my aim of attaining financial independence. Time-bound: My goal is to set aside 15% of my savings and increase it by investing in X till the start of the next year.
3. Live Within A Budget
Goal: I will create a budget of $3000 every month. SMART Breakdown
Specific: I will create a budget of $3000 every month and spend 15% less. Measurable: I’ll keep a close watch on what I spend, keeping a record of every expense and ensuring that I spend less than my budget of $3000. Attainable: My average monthly spending is $2800, thus I try my best to curtail my expenses within the budget if I don’t use my credit cards. Relevant: Curtailing my expenses within a budget of $3000 will prevent me from splurging on items spurred by impulse buying. It will help me in saving more, make me more responsible, and practice sustainable minimalism. Time-bound: The goal is to develop a fruitful habit of living within the budget of $3000 every month throughout this year.
4. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
Goal: I will eat a minimum of X servings of fruits and vegetables daily by June 30. I will accomplish this by planning my meals ahead of time on a weekly basis, going shopping once a week, and eating one to two servings per meal. SMART Breakdown
Specific: I will eat a minimum of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily by June 30. Measurable: The goal is to go grocery shopping once a week and buy X amount of veggies and fruits that I can cut up in daily serving sizes. Attainable: I have experience in meal prepping before, therefore if I meal prep for the week on Sunday, I know I can work toward my goal of making it a daily habit. Relevant: I aim to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables so I can cut out unnecessary junk food and save more money in the long-run. Time-bound: The goal is to make eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a daily routine by June 30.
5. Get Regular Exercise
Goal: I will work out a minimum of 20 minutes per day, three days a week by July 15th. SMART Breakdown
Specific: I will do low-impact exercises for 20 minutes per day, three days a week. Measurable: I will measure my progress using a fitness tracker and calendar, making sure I complete my 20-minute workouts. Attainable: Scheduling workouts for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday is manageable for me in the long term. Also, keeping it at 20 minutes will help build up the intensity, allow me enough time to benefit from the cardio, and at the same time keep it short enough to not hinder my other routine tasks. Relevant: Working out for 20 minutes every day for three days a week will give me the amazing benefit of moving from low-impact to high-intensity workouts whilst also being manageable enough to sustain long-term. Time-bound: I will work out a minimum of 20 minutes per day, three days a week by July 15th.
6. Express Love to your Spouse
Goal: I will be more expressive of my love for my spouse. SMART Breakdown
Specific: I am to express my love to my spouse by doing tasks around the house, cooking a nice dinner, or having meaningful conversations before bed. Attainable: By scheduling a 20-minute break on Thursday to reminisce about the good times we’ve shared, I’ll come up with the three things to express my love and appreciation for my partner. Relevant: Expressing love for my partner will strengthen our relationship and deepen our bond. Time-bound: I will carry out this beautiful ritual on a weekly basis, planned out during a 20-minute break on Thursday.
7. Strengthen Family Bonds
Goal: I will work on nurturing and strengthening my family ties. SMART Breakdown
Specific: I will plan X amount of family activities and family vacations every week. Measurable: I’ll keep track of my ideas in a notebook, where I can write them into our family calendar. Attainable: Our family has consistently done Taco Tuesdays and trips to the movie theaters every month, therefore scheduling family activities is doable. Relevant: These vacations will play a big part in fostering and deepening the bonds of all of us family members. Time-bound: My goal is to put a deposit on a family vacation in six months for a trip we will take next summer.
8. Increase Outdoor Activity
Goal: I will stay outdoors for at least 30 minutes every day. SMART Breakdown
Specific: I will stay outdoors for 30 minutes every day. Measurable: I will jog around my neighborhood for 10 minutes every day, and then switch up my other activities like watering the plants, stretching, or reading. Attainable: I will set a daily reminder to alert me about spending X minutes every day outdoors. Relevant: I aim to spend 30 minutes outdoors which will benefit me by breaking the cycle of sedentary indoor living. Plus, combining my outdoor time and physical activity would also give me health benefits. Time-bound: My goal is to start tomorrow and make it a habit by the end of the year.
9. Increase Knowledge
Goal: I will read one book every 15 days for the entire year. SMART Breakdown
Specific: I will read one book every 15 days for the entire year by starting with books in my personal library. Measurable: I aim to complete reading a book every 15 days by spending 30 minutes of my time on the task on a daily basis. Attainable: Adjusting the reading time in the morning hours or before my bedtime, I would make sure that I consistently keep up this habit, as this way it would most likely not interfere with the rest of my daily routine. Relevant: Reading every day would calm my mind, invigorate my senses, increase my knowledge and give me a taste of new experiences which I might never get a chance to have on my own in life. Time-bound: My aim is to complete reading a book every 15 days by reading that book consistently for 30 minutes every day until I finish reading every book in my personal library.
10. Build a Robust Morning Routine
Goal: For the next 6 months, I will choose 3 important habits that I will add to my new morning routine and consistently complete them every morning. SMART Breakdown
Specific: I will add 3 helpful habits to my morning routine for the next 6 months as part of my everyday morning routine. Measurable: My goal is to practice a wonderfully productive morning routine by adding them to my productivity app with set reminders. Attainable: I will review the progress of my morning routine right before I go to sleep, plan ahead and make note of its benefits. This way, I will gear myself up to practice my morning routine every day. Relevant: Having a great morning routine would ensure a strong start to a productive and healthy day. This will help me consciously and unconsciously with its benefits spanning all areas of my life. Time-bound: I will stick with this plan for 6 months before self-assessing and choosing 3 new habits.
11. Tap into the Power of Meditation
Goal: I will meditate for 20 minutes each morning. SMART Breakdown
Specific: I will meditate for 20 minutes each morning. I will first start out by meditating for 10 minutes, which I will then gradually build up to 20 minutes. Measurable: The goal is to develop a habit of meditating for 20 minutes within 3 weeks, which I will then use within my morning routine throughout my life. Attainable: I will first start doing 10-minute meditations using a meditation app, which I will then gradually build up to 20 minutes. Relevant: Meditating for 20 minutes every day will bring me numerous conscious and subconscious benefits: better mood, mental clarity, improved physical health, and spiritual elevation. Time-bound: I will set an alert for 6 am, sit with my shoulders relaxed, and back straight.
Final Thoughts
Your personal SMART goals and personal development goals can be just about anything. You will only have to be sure that you can muster the discipline, resources, and requirements you will need to achieve them.Loved our breakdown of SMART goals? Find out how goal setting can boost your overall mental performance, relationships and quality of life in our How Setting Personal Goals Makes You a Greater Achiever. Featured photo credit: Emma Matthews Digital Content Production via unsplash.com
