S ... Specific, Significant
- Bad: I want to work with computers.
- Good: I want to be a web developer.
- Better: I want to be a web developer and work for a large company.
- Best: I want to be a web developer, work for a large company, and be able to work with various technology.
The more details you can provide, the more specific and significant your goal will be.
M ... Measurable
- Bad: I plan to learn a lot about web design.
- Good: I plan to take courses that will teach me about web design.
- Better: I plan to take courses that will teach me about web design and get my degree.
- Best: I plan to take courses that will teach me about web design; each week, each term, and each grade I earn provides a new measure of my success and gets me closer to my degree - and my career.
This part of a S.M.A.R.T. goal is clearly tied in with the Timing aspect. Look for milestones to gauge your progress towards your goal.
A ... Active, Aggressive
- Bad: I'll learn how to make web sites.
- Good: I'll learn various ways to make web sites.
- Better: I'll learn how to make webpages using html and various tools.
- Best: I'll learn html, php, JavaScript, and other methods, and learn to set up a database to help companies sell their products. I'll also learn techniques and work with various software such as Flash to make the webpages interesting, and learn more about other aspects of the computer and the internet.
Active pursuit of a goal includes more than a desire: it means digging right in and starting each part of the goal with energy. Procrastination only leads to goal failure!
R ... Realistic, Reasonable, Relevant
- Bad: I know I can do this.
- Good: Others have done this goal, so I know it's possible.
- Better: I have a computer and the desire to do this, and know that others have completed this goal.
- Best: I have or will obtain all the tools I need to complete this goal. It is a career that has been proven to be possible, according to research I have done. If I don't have the skills to do it now, I will actively learn them, and have confidence that I will be able to learn.
A very important part of making sure your goal is realistic is doing Research (another R!). You also need to verify that you have or can obtain necessary Resources - the tools, knowledge, and skill to perform all tasks and see the goal to completion.
T ... Timed
- Bad: When I have my degree, I'll look for a job in the field.
- Good: I'll have my degree in a few years and will look for a job.
- Better: I plan to complete my degree in the summer of 2012 and start looking for a job in the last few quarters of my program.
- Best: With the help of my Academic Advisor, I have planned out each quarter, and will finish my degree in early June, 2012. Each term, I'll check to make sure I am meeting my goals. I will get job search assistance from the university's Career Services during my last few terms.
Without a planned time frame, most goals become dreams that fade and procrastination can take over. Write out your S.M.A.R.T. plan and read it over often to help keep you motivated!