"SMART" Goals

Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Adapted from Paul J. Meyer's "Attitude Is Everything."

SPECIFIC - A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six "W" questions:

*Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.

*Who is involved?

*What do I want to accomplish?

*Which: Identify requirements and constraints.

*When: Establish a time frame.

*Where: Identify a location.

MEASURABLE - Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal.

ATTAINABLE - When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.

REALISTIC - To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic. Be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished.

TIMELY - A goal is timely when you have set a realistic time frame to complete your goal and can identify if it is in fact completed.

REMEMBER - THE GOALS YOU SET ARE YOURS TO OWN AND CAN BE ADJUSTED BASED UPON CIRCUMSTANCES. The goals are yours and you can adjust them so you will meet them. Once you begin to set SMART Goals, you will learn the six "W's" and you will set better, more reasonable and attainable goals.