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Smart Goals
Below is a reference when creating your goal(s). Setting SMART goals will help you understand exactly what you need to do (and when) to achieve your desired outcome. Depending on the type of goal you are creating, some of the criteria may not be applicable to your goal and that’s okay - this is here to help you!
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Specific: The goal should be exact with no room for misinterpretation.
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Measurable: The goal should be quantifiable, and progress should be easy to track.
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Achievable: The goal should be attainable — not outlandish or unrealistic.
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Relevant: The goal should contribute to your broader, overarching goals.
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Time-bound: The goal should have a defined start and end date.
Weak Goal Example: I’m going to write a book.
SMART Goal Example:
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Specific: I’m going to write a 60,000-word sci-fi novel.
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Measurable: I will finish writing 60,000 words in 6 months.
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Achievable: I will write 2,500 words per week.
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Relevant: I’ve always dreamed of becoming a professional writer.
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Time-bound: I will start writing tomorrow January 1st, and finish June 30th.
SMART Goal Example Summary:
I'm going to write a 60,000-word novel in 6 months, finishing on June 30th. I will do this by writing 2,500 words per week.
Weak Goal Example: I’m going to make more sales.
SMART Goal Example:
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Specific: I’m going to learn how to use Facebook Ads and invest 30% of my profits into this marketing channel.
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Measurable: The goal is to double my sales within 3 months.
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Achievable: I have a reasonably successful small business that is ready to handle growth in sales.
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Relevant: I want to make 6-figures per year working from home.
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Time-bound: I will start a Facebook Ads course tomorrow and start running paid campaigns within 1 week. Then, I’ll continue to learn and scale up, and evaluate my results in 3 months.
SMART Goal Example Summary:
I will begin a Facebook Ads course tomorrow and start investing 30% of my business profits into paid campaigns within 1 week. I will continue to learn and invest in Facebook Ads to double my sales within 3 months.
Weak Goal Example: I’m going to secure a promotion.
SMART Goal Example:
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Specific: I’m going to earn a promotion and become a senior SEO specialist.
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Measurable: I will complete the required training and submit my application. I will also take on an additional work project to demonstrate my readiness to shoulder more responsibility.
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Achievable: I’ve worked as an SEO specialist for 3 years, and my work has produced significant results. Also, my company is looking to take on another senior SEO specialist at the end of this quarter.
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Relevant: I want to keep learning and challenging myself as I progress in my career.
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Time-bound: I will take on 1 additional work project within the next 2 weeks, complete the required training within 6 weeks, and submit my application within 8 weeks.
SMART Goal Example Summary:
I'm going to land a promotion to become a senior SEO specialist at my company. I will do this by taking on an additional work project within 2 weeks, completing the required training within 6 weeks, and submitting my application within 8 weeks.
Weak Goal Example: I’m going to help my team land more sales.
SMART Goal Example:
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Specific: I’m going to help my team qualify sales leads better, so they only spend their time selling to people who are likely to purchase.
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Measurable: The goal is to increase the team’s sales by 5%.
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Achievable: We’ve identified the top reason our leads don’t purchase: they don’t fully match our target market. If we can ensure everyone we call matches our target market, our sales will likely increase.
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Relevant: Our core aim is to grow company sales by more than 20% this year.
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Time-bound: We aim to increase sales by 5% within 3 months before re-evaluating our strategy.
SMART Goal Example Summary:
I will lead my team to improve our qualification process so that the team only calls highly qualified leads that are likely to purchase. We aim to increase sales by 5% within 3 months.
