Chapter Three: Use S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Revised and updated | The Ten Domains of Effective Goal Setting: Achieve Your Dreams in the Essential Areas of Life
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Chapter Three
Use S.M.A.R.T. Goals
While it may seem like a redundant cliché, using a well-known acronym in goal setting could make the difference between success and failure in achieving your desired outcomes. Therefore, it is included as the third rule of goal setting within the Ten Domains.
Rule #3: Be S.M.A.R.T. when setting your goals.
Test your written goals using George T. Doran’s S.M.A.R.T. approach: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound;1 inspired by Peter Drucker’s legendary management by objectives concept.2
Doran suggests that we should be specific when writing down our goals, ensuring our ambitions are measurable and establishing only goals we believe are achievable. We also need to be honest in our self-assessment by committing to targets that are realistic and relevant given the resources available to us. Additionally, it is crucial to establish time-specific deadlines to reach our objectives.
For instance:
As an avid learner, I will read at least one book each month during the hours I set aside in my personal calendar. Then, upon completion, I will write a brief narrative in my online diary about how each book entertained me (fiction) or enlightened me (nonfiction).
The above illustrative goal is specific in its clear objective of reading at least one book each month; measurable by noting the results in personal calendars and diaries; attainable by dedicating an entire month to reading at least one book amid a busy schedule; realistic in that the goal setter understands oneself as a passionate reader; and time-bound in that they select and record specific timelines.
The S.M.A.R.T approach to goal setting is essential for achieving realistic and attainable dreams. Be sure to incorporate the S.M.A.R.T. concept into each of your written goals.
Next in The Ten Domains of Effective Goal Setting | Chapter Four: Be→Have→Do
Chapter Three: Use S.M.A.R.T. Goals is copyright 2016 and 2025 by David J. Waldron. All rights reserved worldwide.
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George T. Doran, “There's a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management's Goals and Objectives," Management Review, American Management Association Forum, 1981, 35-36.
Peter F. Drucker, The Practice of Management (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1954).