Setting goals can be a difficult task. Trust me when I say I too have been on the front lines, battling the unhealthy demons of complacency and procrastination. Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a leadership training sponsored by one of the largest financial institutions in the world and discovered a unique concept.

S.M.A.R.T. is a systematic goal setting process frequently used in business and self development. The mnemonic, commonly attributed to George Doran, consists of the following strategies:

SPECIFIC : Target a specific area for improvement.





: Target a specific area for improvement. MEASURABLE : Quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress.





: Quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress. ATTAINABLE : Specify how you will do it.





: Specify how you will do it. RELEVANT : State why you believe this goal is worthwhile.





: State why you believe this goal is worthwhile. TIME-SENSITIVE : Identify when the results can be achieved.

Each letter in S.M.A.R.T. refers to a different criterion for judging objectives. Different sources use the letters to refer to different descriptions, but all center around identical principles:

SPECIFIC

The first criterion stresses the need for a specific goal rather than a more general one. This means the goal is clear and unambiguous. To make goals specific, you must define what is expected:

Who’s involved? What attributes are important? Where is it going to happen? When do you expect to achieve this goal? Why is it important? How can you gain the necessary resources?

MEASURABLE

The second criterion stresses the need for concrete methods of measuring progress toward the attainment of the goal. If a goal is not measurable, it is not possible to know whether you are making progress toward successful completion of said goal.

Measuring progress is supposed to help you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that motivates you to reach the ultimate goal.

ATTAINABLE

The third criterion stresses the importance of goals that are realistic and attainable. While an attainable goal may stretch you in order to achieve it: the goal is not extreme. That is, the goals are neither out of reach nor below standard performance.

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 financial capacity to reach them.

RELEVANT

The fourth criterion stresses the importance of choosing goals that matter. Your goal may be specific, measurable, attainable, and time bound - but lack relevance.

Many times you will need support to accomplish a goal: resources, a voice, a tool to knock down obstacles. Relevant goals will heed that support and drive you forward.

TIME-SENSITIVE

The fifth criterion stresses the importance of grounding goals within a time frame: giving them a target date. A commitment to a deadline helps you focus your efforts on completion of the goal. Time bound goals are intended to establish a sense of urgency.