SMART Goals examples have been proven to guide goal setters to better results.
The acronym itself is a guide for making sure your goals are focused, important to you, practical, possible and actually get done!
SMART Goals perfect for businesses to achieve their bottom line, and some say that examples of smart goals aren’t good for personal goals.
There might be some truth to this, but setting smart goals is also good for certain personality types. Those who are:
- Practical
- Objective
- Like numbers and data
- Want to measure their results in objective amounts and not abstract concepts
…can use the SMART Goals goal setting system for their personal goals, even though they’re not a HUGE corporation.
It will still suit you quite well.
What are SMART Goals?
Smart goals are goals with specific guidelines designed to get you more results faster, and keep you on track while making sure the goals you set aren’t a complete waste of time.
- S – Specific (This is a real goal, not an “idea”)
- M – Measurable (so you know when you’re finished)
- A – Achievable (let’s not be naive here…)
- R – Relevant (does this even matter?)
- T – Time bound (to avoid being lazy or slow…)
Smart Goals Examples
Smart goals examples: Create an online business
Specific: I will create a money making blog that will help others learn to budget and manage their finances during hard times.
Measurable: The blog will have 100 posts and at least 10k views per month before I decided to set another goal related to this blog.
Achievable: I know this is achievable because the leading blogs on finance do not specifically target people in dire financial straits, so there is room for me AND there is more than enough traffic in this niche.
Relevant: I use to be a financial analyst, so I am perfectly qualified, and interested in creating this blog.
Time-bound: My research shows that the amount of time it should take to create the blog, get the hosting and domain set up, design the blog layout, and establish the blog as an authority, while driving the traffic I want should take me about 12 months.
- The goal is Specific, because it is more than “create an online business”.
- The goal is measurable, because specific results provide us a starting and finishing point.
- The goal is achievable, because it has been done before, and the person is willing to put in the effort to recreate those results for themselves.
- The goal is relevant, because this is a topic the person is passionate about and qualified to pursue.
- The amount of time alloted is well researched and achievable, providing incentive to move quickly and time for experimentation.
RELATED: How to Create a Master Plan that Ensures Success for your Goals and Projects!
Learn guitar
Specific: Learn to play Far Beyond The Sun by Yngwie Malmsteen on a Fender Stratocaster.
Measurable: I will play the song, and my Guitar Chord and note checking software will decide whether the guitar is the one I stated, and whether what I’m playing perfectly matches the notes (and everything else) in the song.
Achievable: I can play guitar pretty well now, this song is playable and I can certainly do it.
Relevant: It happens to be my favorite song, I never get tired of listening to it, and I love the guitar, so I’ll never get tired of practicing until my goal is achieved.
Time-bound: I’m giving myself 4 months of practicing 4 hours a day, 7 days a week. This equals 384 total hours to master the song.
- Notice how specific this goal is: learning guitar is not specific enough. You can tell, because how does one measure whether or not they can play the guitar?
- We can measure whether or not a song was played correctly, however.
Get marathon ready
Specific: To compete in and finish the Disney Marathon.
Measurable: The marathon will be completed in the time allowed to qualify for a finishers medal.
Achievable: This is a beginner friendly marathon and perfect for first timers.
Relevant: I live in Florida so this marathon is perfect.
Time-bound: I will be ready to compete by the next marathon date.
Grow your Social media following
Specific: Become an influencer for guitars on youtube.
Measurable: To get my channel to 200k subscribers
Achievable: Perfectly achievable following the right formula while putting in the effort.
Relevant: This would be the perfect way to combine my love of guitar and making videos. It would also help me transition into other forms of guitar related career path.
Time-bound: I think that 2 years of consistent effort is enough time to produce videos every single day that are shareable and likeable, getting me to 200k subs.
See significant growth in business
Specific: My branch will see an increase in SaaS clients paying us $30k/month.
Measurable: We will gain precisely 48 new clients this year with an increase of $1.4M in revenue.
Achievable: We have a formula for getting one new client per week. We will execute that consistently for the entire year.
Relevant: Software as a service clients are our preferred clients to have and work with.
Time-bound: In one year’s time we will have reached our goal, in 6 months time we will be halfway to our goal.
Smart goals examples: Maslow’s Pyramid Added
Food
Specific: To increase the amount of organic and whole foods in my diet.
Measurable: The portion of my diet that will consist of whole/ organic foods will be 60%.
Achievable: There are several organic markets in my area at affordable prices.
Relevant: I have become more concerned and proactive about my health lately, my Dr. told me to stay away from sprayed foods.
Time-bound: To give my body time to acclimate to the change in diet, I’m affording myself 90 days to make this transition. In 3 months time, 60% of my diet will consist of organic whole foods.
- This goal shows how each letter in the SMART acronym plays a part.
- If this person’s area were not so enthusiastic about organic food, or the food was too expensive, this goal might not have worked out well.
Smart goals examples: Safety
Specific: To move my family into our new home out of this flood zone we’re currently living in.
Measurable: The goal is done, when the house is finished, insulated, and all utilities are installed and working.
Achievable: I have done this very same project of building houses from start to finish several times in my life.
Relevant: Definitely relevant to me, as I’m the subject in danger (my family as well).
Time-bound: The house will need to be done before the next flood season arrives, which gives me exactly 7 months to get the house built and my family relocated.
- Here, the Time aspect of SMART goals is key because his family will literally be in danger if floods come and they are not relocated yet.
RELATED: How to Achieve your Goals Successfully Every Time
Belongingness intimate relationships
Specific: My wife and I will take more weekend trips and travel the country.
Measurable: We will spend at least one weekend in every state in the country.
Achievable: We are retired and have plenty of time and money to travel the country.
Relevant: We have been wanting to do this road trip for a while now and this SMART goal will help us do it!
Time-bound: We will take an entire year, spending at least 3 days in each state, with 210 days left over for travel time to and from states, seeing sites along the way.
Prestige and accomplishment
Specific: I will take the human species to Mars and colonize it.
Measurable: It will be done in the next 10 years.
Achievable: I am willing to put in all the work, establish the space company and see it through to the end, including research and money, which I have connections to already.
Relevant: I have always wanted to ensure the survival of the human species in case we destroy our world, or outlive it.
Time-bound: We should be finished by 2030
I’ve included this here to show you what DOES NOT QUALIFY as a smart goal.
- It is not measurable. A goal this lofty, would require benchmarks like “attain this amount of money from investors and governments”, “meet the research required to develop and build the propulsion systems necessary” “train this 100 astronauts, raise 27 billion dollars, gather 100000 lbs of these materials, design station that will dwell on mars” etc…
Creativity, full potential
Specific: I will discover my true purpose in life, and start to follow a life plan to live it out.
Measurable: My goal will be complete, once I have discovered a sense of purpose in life that is deeply satisfying and meaningful to me, have a plan for the rest of my life, and the first step for executing that plan.
Achievable: I have witnessed a deep internal change in others who’ve done this, so I think it’s possible for me.
Wanna just fill in the blanks and start setting your SMART GOALS right now?Relevant: My current life is devoid of meaning and I need a change.
Time-bound: I am giving myself 6 months to accomplish this – most of that time being devoted to deep internal investigation.
Notice how this goal is seriously relevant to the “goal setter” who’s going through a life crisis where nothing is fulfilling.
Examples of SMART Goals: Common Goals
Smart goals examples: Make more money
Specific: I will generate $1k in passive income, by creating my own money making blog, where I will serve others’ needs, and will create my own products.
Measurable: I will create four different products, and drive traffic to a blog that genuinely helps a huge group (50k per month), then they will spend at least $7 each on my info products.
Achievable: With the right effort, time and formula, this is perfectly achievable and has be done by others before.
Relevant: I have started many blogs, but never made money from them. Starting and maintaining a blog is right up my alley.
Time-bound: Based on how much time it really takes to establish a blog in this way, I am giving myself 9 months to complete this goal.
Lose weight get fit
Specific: I will cut down 60lbs from my current weight.
Measurable: When I have gone from 290 to 230lbs my goal will be accomplished!
Achievable: I used to weigh 230lbs and cutting this much wouldn’t be unhealthy or impossible.
Relevant: Obviously relevant, this is my desire. It’s time for me to focus on my health and get serious about the way I look. This is the best time in my life to do it.
Time-bound: With a modest exercise and eating regimen, I can expect to lose 1lb per week. Therefore, I will give myself 60 weeks to lose the weight.
RELATED: Goals: What Are They and How To Do Them Well
Travel more
Specific: To see the states in my country that have the best tourist attractions.
Measurable: I will travel to 10 states that are the top 10 states for highest rated tourist attractions.
Achievable: not applicable. There are no barriers to travel.
Relevant: yes. Travel is an interest of mine and the time is now.
Time-bound: I want to get this experience under my belt, so I will venture to have this travel plan accomplished within one year. I will have finished my stay in the 10th state one year from now.
Sometimes, whether or not a goal is achievable is as simple as a “yes” or “no”.
The relevance of a goal is to keep large companies for pursuing goals that offer them no value (not always relevant for personal goals).
Learn and know more
Specific: I want to start reading more personal growth books.
Measurable: I will read 1 personal growth book every week for one year.
Achievable: The amount of reading time I’ve allotted is fine for this amount.
Relevant: Personal growth books are the books I need to read right now, and my favorite.
Time-bound: There are 11 months left in the year. Starting right now, I will 48 books by the end of this year.
The Formula for Setting Smart Goals
- Get a general idea for what you want to accomplish
- Ask yourself Who, What, Where, Why & When
- Then ask yourself “How many, How much?”
- List the reasons why you care about this goal
- When will this goal be finished?
What to Read Next!
- RELATED: Goals: What Are They and How To Do Them Well
- RELATED: How to Achieve your Goals Successfully Every Time
- RELATED: How to Create a Master Plan that Ensures Success for your Goals and Projects!
