SMART Goals
Original Editor - User Name
Top Contributors - Kapil Narale, Kim Jackson and Stella Constantinides
Introduction[edit | edit source]
It can be said that "a goal is the intended outcome of a specific set of interventions", [1] and as described in the Oxford English Dictionary, a goal is "The object to which effort or ambition is directed; the destination of a (more or less laborious) journey. An end or result towards which behavior is consciously or unconsciously directed.’ [1] This helps explain goal setting, in general, but goal setting in the context of Physiotherapy and rehabilitation is discussed in Goal Setting in Rehabilitation.
One method of goal setting is using SMART goals. SMART goals are ideal since they can help you accomplish any task or objective, big or small, and they encompass details like, specific information on the goal or objective, how, when, and if it will be accomplished, and the timeframe or duration aspects of accomplishing the goal. [2]
In fact, common reasons for setting goals are:
- Increase something
- Make something
- Improve something
- Reduce something
- Save something
- Develop Yourself
SMART Goals, the Acronym[edit | edit source]
Generally, the acronym of SMART goals may be known as: [1]
| S | Specific |
| M | Measurable |
| A | Attainable |
| R | Realistic |
| T | Time-bound |
In fact, each of the letters of SMART can have various words attached to them, but all with a similar meaning. These different words/labels could be: [1]
| S | Specific, significant, stretching, simple, stimulating, succinct, straight forward, self owned, self managed, self controlled, strategic, sensible |
| M | Measurable, meaningful, motivational, manageable, magical, magnetic, maintainable, mapped to goals |
| A | Agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable, action-oriented, attributable, actionable, appropriate, ambitious, aspirational, accepted/acceptable, aligned, accountable, agreed, adapted, as-if-now |
| R | Realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented, resources are adequate, resourced, recorded, reviewable, robust, relevant to a mission |
| T | Time-based, timely, tangible, trackable, tactical, traceable, toward what you want, and many starting with ‘time-’ (e.g. -limited, -constrained, etc.) |
The SMART acronym can also be extended to SMARTER. The 'ER' can indicate: [1]
| E | Ethical, exciting, enjoyable, extending, evaluated, engaging, energizing |
| R | Recorded, reviewed, rewarded, realistic, relevant, resourced, research-based |
The meaning of each of the SMART components will be explained below. An explanation of how to write or display SMART goals will then be provided.
S[edit | edit source]
With S for 'Specific', you want to know the details of what it is you want to do. What is it that will be accomplished? What actions are you hoping/planning to take? [2]
When outlining the specifics of your goal, you want to make sure your description encompasses the 5 Ws: who, what, where, when, and why. [2]
Who - this is not asking who the goal is for, ie. 'You', but who/which individuals are involved, or need to be involved, in accomplishing the goal? [2]
What - What is it that you want to accomplish? Be as specific as possible. [2]
Where - Identify the location or event, if relevant. This may not necessarily apply to all types of goals. [2]
When - Think about and identify a timeframe for your goal. This will also be identified in the 'T' of SMART goals. [2]
Why - What is the reason or relevance of this goal? If it is a personal goal, the answer shouldn't be something as simple as, 'I feel like' or 'I want to', or if it is career or academic related, the reasoning should be more than 'I need to' or 'for advancement'. [2]
M[edit | edit source]
With 'M' for Measurable, you want to indicate how you will measure your your progress. What kind of metrics are you collecting to monitor your progress? [2]
If its not a quantitative type of measurement, but different stages to complete, you can set separate qualitative objectives as milestones to complete in a certain order. This can help track the progress of your goal or accomplishment, and will help measure your success. [2]
With this step being 'measurable', you do want something to 'measure' to to help measure your progress. [2]
A[edit | edit source]
With 'A' for Achievable,
R[edit | edit source]
T[edit | edit source]
frequency
How to write SMART Goals[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
- bulleted list
- x
or
- numbered list
- x
