o . . M SMART Goals Set FIVE Personal, Educational, or Professional (or combination) SMART goals. Acronym Description Developing SMART Goals Specific Goals are clear, detailed and unambiguous. A specific goal will usually answer the five "W" questions: What: What do I want to accomplish? Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal Who: Who is involved? Where: Identify a location. Which: Identity requirements and constraints. Measurable This term stresses the need for concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of the goal. If a goal is not measurable, it is not possible to know whether progress toward successful completion is being made. A measurable goal will usually answer questions such as: How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished? A Attainable This term stresses the importance of goals that are realistic and attainable. While an attainable goal may stretch the goal-setter in order to achieve it, the goal is not extreme. An attainable goal may cause goal-setters to identify previously overlooked opportunities to bring themselves closer to the achievement of their goals. An attainable goal will usually answer the question: How: How can the goal be accomplished? R Relevant A relevant goal must represent an objective that the goal-setter is willing and able to work towards. A relevant goal will usually answer the question: Does this seem worthwhile? T Time The fifth term stresses the importance of giving goals a Bound target date. A commitment to a deadline helps focus efforts on completion of the goal on or before the due date. Timeliness is intended to prevent goals from being overtaken by the day-to-day crises that invariably arise in an organization. A timely goal will usually answer the question: When? What can I do 6 months from now? What can I do 6 weeks from now? What can I do today