You type "Get healthier" into your notes app, look at it for a minute, and still have no idea what to do on Monday. The same goal, reworded: "For the next 12 weeks, I will walk for 30 minutes on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and tick each walk on the calendar." Now Monday has a plan.
The pattern works for money and study too. "Save more" can become "Every payday I will move a small set amount into savings and check the balance on the last day of the month." "Study harder" can become "I will study biology for 45 minutes Monday to Thursday and take one practice quiz on Fridays."
Below you will find examples for everyday life and for work and study, a step-by-step way to rewrite your own goal, versions for a tight week or budget, and an honest word on when the format gets in the way. At the end there is a one-page planner you can fill in and download.
- Start with the action Say what you will do, not how you want to feel.
- Add a number or a sign Something you can count or see so you know it happened.
- Check it fits your week Time, money and energy count as much as the target.
- Set a date and a first step A day to finish or review, and a small action to begin.
- Keep it flexible SMART is one handy format; shrink, change or try another kind of goal when it does not fit.
What SMART means, in plain words
SMART is a checklist for wording a goal. The five letters usually stand for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. In other words, a SMART goal says what you will do, how you will know it happened, that it fits your life, why it matters now, and by when.
You may see a slightly different version somewhere else. The "A" can mean attainable, the "R" can mean realistic, and the "T" can mean timely, so a different set of words is the same idea, not a mistake. The format comes from a 1981 management article by George Doran, and it has been reused in schools, workplaces and planners ever since.
Researchers who study goals have found that specific, challenging goals tend to lead to better results at a task than vague ones like "do your best", when people have the skills and feedback they need. That is related to SMART, not the same thing. SMART is a handy way to check your wording; it is not a promise.
If you have not picked a goal yet, the guide on personal development goals can help you choose one before you come back to the wording.
Turn a vague goal into a SMART one, step by step
Take the sentence "I want to get an internship." It is a fine wish, but there is nothing in it to do on Tuesday. The fix is a short sequence, and you can follow it with any goal.
Say what you will do
Change "get an internship" into "apply for internships."
Add a number
"Apply to 12 internships" can be counted.
Check it fits
Twelve applications in your actual weeks, with your actual job or classes.
Add a date
"By October 31" gives the goal an end.
Add a first step and a review
Have your resume reviewed before the first application, and check progress every week.
Put together, it reads: "By October 31, I will apply to 12 internships, after having my resume reviewed before the first application." A fill-in sentence you can reuse is: "By [date], I will [action] [number] [thing] by [what I will do and how often], so that [reason]. My first step is [small action] on [day]. I will check progress every [week or other interval]."
One more check is worth the minute. Make sure the number is something you control. "Apply to 12 internships" is yours; "get an offer" is not, because other people decide that. If your goal depends on someone else, swap in the part you can do.
SMART goal examples for everyday life
These examples are ideas to borrow and reword, not anyone's real story. Change the numbers until they fit your own week.
| Area | Vague version | SMART version |
|---|---|---|
| AreaHealth and fitness | Vague versionGet healthier | SMART versionFor the next 12 weeks, walk at an easy pace for 30 minutes on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, and tick each walk on the calendar. |
| AreaMoney | Vague versionSave more money | SMART versionEach Friday for 20 weeks, move an amount that fits your budget into a separate savings account. |
| AreaLearning | Vague versionImprove my English | SMART versionFor six months, go to three English classes a month and study on my own for one hour a week, then try an intermediate-level assessment. |
| AreaRelationships | Vague versionSpend more time with family | SMART versionFor the next eight weeks, have a phone-free family meal on four evenings each week and mark it on a shared calendar. |
| AreaHome | Vague versionOrganize the house | SMART versionBy June 30, sort the bedroom, kitchen and entryway, with one 45-minute session every Saturday. |
Adjust a health goal to your own body and any advice you have been given, and set a money goal to your own income and bills.
When people write personal goals, they tend to land in a few places: health, money, learning something new, time with family and the state of the house. Notice that each example above does the same small things. It names an action, counts or marks it, and gives it a stretch of time.
Examples for work and study
At work, a goal often has to survive a review form or a manager's questions, so wording matters. A remote worker might write: "For the next six weeks, I will send a written project update every Friday by 3 p.m. and ask one specific question when I need a decision." Someone building a skill might write: "By September 30, I will finish an Excel certification and use it to automate one monthly report." A team goal can follow the same shape, with a shared number and a weekly check.
For study, the same moves apply. A student could write: "By May 15, I will complete four practice quizzes and review every missed answer within 48 hours." Notice there is a review built in. That is where learning tends to happen, and it keeps the goal from being only a count of tasks.
If the goal is meant for a performance review, the guide to professional development goals goes further. For a longer plan with several goals, see the guide to a professional development plan. Many employers also have their own template, so check yours first and fit your wording into it.
Versions for a tight week or budget
A goal that only works in a perfect week will not last through a normal one. You can shrink the same goal into options, and none of them is a lesser version. Choose whichever matches the week you actually have.
On a five-minute day, tie one short action to something that already happens, such as reading one page after you pour your morning coffee. On a free afternoon, use a longer first session: a rough draft, a first visit to the library, or the first hour of the sorting. When there is no money, lean on walks, library books, free practice material and a shared checklist on the fridge.
Some lives need their own wording. A shift worker can anchor to the schedule instead of the clock: "During the next four weeks, I will do two 20-minute exercise sessions after my first shift of the week and note them in a calendar." A parent or caregiver might write: "On Tuesday and Thursday evenings for six weeks, I will study for 25 minutes after bedtime, unless caregiving changes." With variable income, you can move a share each time a payment arrives and review it monthly. In a shared household, each adult can take one 30-minute task on Saturday and tick it off on one list.
An if-then line helps on the days it gets hard: "If it is 7 p.m. on Tuesday, then I will study for 30 minutes." Reviews of studies have found that if-then plans help people act on what they meant to do, though they do not guarantee anything.
1. Which study goal is clearest?
2. In "Get a job offer by June," which part is outside your control, and what could replace it?
3. Your week is packed and you cannot do the goal as written. What helps most?
4. Which kind of goal suits a creative project when the outcome is unclear?
When SMART gets in the way, and what to try instead
SMART is one handy format, and a simpler plan is enough sometimes. It can get in the way when the result depends on other people, as with a job offer. It can also get in the way when the work is creative or still unclear, when a number pushes out quality, when so many goals leave no room to rest, or when you are still learning the task and a performance target is too early.
In those cases, a different kind of goal can fit better.
| Approach | Best use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ApproachSMART result goal | Best useA defined result with a clear measure and date | ExampleSubmit five applications by December 20 |
| ApproachProcess goal | Best useRepeated actions you control | ExampleComplete two applications each week |
| ApproachLearning goal | Best useNew or complex work | ExampleTest three study methods and compare how each goes |
| ApproachIf-then plan | Best useTurning an intention into action | ExampleIf it is 7 p.m. Tuesday, study for 30 minutes |
| ApproachFlexible milestone | Best useCreative or uncertain work | ExampleFinish one prototype and decide what to try next |
Some goals also deserve a person with training. For debt or repeated missed payments, a credit counselor can help. If a health goal involves illness, injury, medication or pregnancy, ask a health professional first. And if you feel distress that does not ease, a licensed mental health professional is the right person to talk to.
A one-page SMART goal planner
A filled sheet for the walking goal might read like this. The goal is "Walk for 30 minutes on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday for 12 weeks." The reason is more energy for the school run. The measure is a tick on the calendar. The first step is laying out shoes on Sunday night. If it rains, the if-then plan is a 20-minute walk indoors or at the mall. The check-in is every second Sunday.
You can copy the sheet below into a notebook, or fill in the version underneath and download it as a printable page through the form.
| Field | Prompt |
|---|---|
| FieldGoal | PromptWhat exactly will I accomplish? |
| FieldReason | PromptWhy does it matter now? |
| FieldMeasure | PromptHow will I know it is complete or progressing? |
| FieldSteps | PromptWhat actions will I take? |
| FieldDates | PromptWhen will each step start and finish? |
| FieldSupport | PromptWhat people, tools or services do I need? |
| FieldObstacles | PromptWhat could interfere? |
| FieldIf-then plan | PromptIf [obstacle], then I will [response]. |
| FieldCheck-in | PromptWhen will I review progress? |
| FieldAdjustment | PromptWhat should change if the plan no longer fits? |
The one-page goal planner
A printable planner with a filled-in example, a checklist and room for your own goal. Enter your email, click the link we send you, and the download is yours.
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Questions people ask
These are the questions that come up most often, with short answers you can use right away.
What are some examples of SMART goals?
A SMART goal might be "walk for 30 minutes on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday for 12 weeks" or "send a project update every Friday by 3 p.m. for six weeks." Both name an action, a way to tell it happened and a time frame. Reword either one to match your own schedule.
How do I write a SMART goal?
Start with the action, add a number, check that it fits your week, add a date, and finish with a first step and a review day. The fill-in sentence from the step-by-step section works for most goals. Write the version you would actually be willing to do on a normal week.
What is a SMART action plan, and what does it include?
A SMART action plan is a goal plus the steps that make it real. It usually holds the goal, a reason, the steps with dates, what could get in the way, and a check-in day. The planner above has all of these, plus a spot for what to change if the plan stops fitting.
What are some personal SMART goals?
Personal goals often cover health, money, learning, family time and home. For instance, "have a phone-free family meal four evenings a week for eight weeks," or "move a small set amount into savings every payday." Keep the amount and the schedule small enough to fit your real life.
Can I get a SMART goals template or PDF?
Yes. The planner in the section above is a one-page template, and you can download a printable version through the form beneath it. It works for both personal goals and work or study goals, and you can fill it in by hand or on screen.
Are SMART goals good for creative work or goals that are hard to measure?
They can help, but a looser goal often fits better. For creative work, try a flexible direction, a learning goal or a process milestone, such as "test three different concepts this month and choose the next one at the review." Look at it again as the work develops and change it when it needs changing.
Your first step
This week, pick the goal you most often describe in vague words and rewrite it in one sentence: what you will do, how many or how often, and by which date. Then write down the first small action with a day and time, and set a check-in one to four weeks away. At that check-in, you decide whether to keep the goal, shrink it, change it or pause it.
For more ideas, the Goals and Motivation section on Motivation Facts has more guides, and you can use the contact page to send a question or an idea for a guide.
SMART goal. A goal worded so it is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
Measure. A number or sign that shows the goal happened, like a tick on a calendar.
Deadline. The date by which you finish or review the goal.
First step. The small action that starts the goal, with a day and time.
Process goal. A goal about the actions you control, such as completing two applications each week.
Learning goal. A goal about trying something and finding out what works, used when the task is new.
If-then plan. A line that says what you will do when a certain moment or obstacle shows up.
Sources
- Doran, "There's a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management's Goals and Objectives" (1981)
- Locke and Latham, "New Directions in Goal-Setting Theory," Association for Psychological Science
- Implementation intentions, PubMed Central
- CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor, goal setting
- University of Wisconsin Extension, Money Goals Made Easy
