Let’s cut to the chase: These SMART goal examples can help you to achieve your dreams. How? Because they can help you to create powerful goals that get results.
Why does this matter? If you don’t create SMART goals, you’re setting yourself up for failure. You know what they say, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
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Okay, but what is a SMART goal exactly, and how can they help you improve your life?
In this article, we’ll explore 10 powerful SMART goal examples, and you’ll learn how to write a SMART goal to achieve anything.
Let’s dive in.
What Is a SMART Goal?
‘SMART’ is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable (or Attainable), Relevant, and Time-bound. SMART goals meet all 5 of these criteria — and, as a result, are strategic, focused, and actionable.
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Let’s explore each characteristic a little further.
- Specific: The goal should be very precise with no room for misinterpretation.
- Measurable: The goal should be quantifiable, and progress should be easy to track.
- Achievable: The goal should be attainable — not outlandish or unrealistic.
- Relevant: The goal should contribute to your broader, overarching goals.
- Time-bound: The goal should have a defined start and end date.
Why Are SMART Goals Important?
Why use SMART goals? When you use the SMART goal framework, you rid yourself of confusion and gain clarity. Setting a SMART goal will help you understand exactly what you need to do (and when you need to do it) to achieve your desired outcome.
As Zig Ziglar, motivational teacher and trainer, once said, “A goal properly set is halfway reached.”
On the other hand, if your goals aren’t SMART, they’re… well, dumb!
Seriously, goals that aren’t SMART are often more like wishes and resolutions — they feel good to make, but they’re virtually impossible to implement and achieve.
In short, you’re more likely to achieve your goal when you make it SMART.
10 Effective SMART Goal Examples
Now that you understand what they are and why they’re important let’s look at some SMART goal examples to inspire you.
These 10 SMART goal-setting examples showcase how you can create powerful personal, business, work, and leadership goals.
Personal SMART Goal Examples
Here are some examples of personal SMART goals to show you how you can improve anything in your life.
1. Get Fit
Weak Goal Example: I’m going to get fit.
SMART Goal Example:
- Specific: I’m going to start running daily and train for a marathon.
- Measurable: I will follow the Nike app training program to run a full marathon without stopping.
- Achievable: I have done some running before, my body is reasonably healthy, and the marathon is 6 months from now.
- Relevant: I want to become a fit, healthy, and strong person — I want to be full of vitality, energy, and zest for life!
- Time-bound: I have signed up for a marathon 6 months from now.
SMART Goal Example Summary:
I’m going to follow the Nike app training program to run a marathon 6 months from now without stopping.
2. Achieve a Personal Project
Weak Goal Example: I’m going to write a book.
SMART Goal Example:
- Specific: I’m going to write a 60,000-word sci-fi novel.
- Measurable: I will finish writing 60,000 words in 6 months.
- Achievable: I will write 2,500 words per week.
- Relevant: I’ve always dreamed of becoming a professional writer.
- Time-bound: I will start writing tomorrow on 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.
3. Improve Relationships
Weak Goal Example: I’m going to improve my relationships.
SMART Goal Example:
- Specific: I will develop my relationships with David, Sarah, and Mom.
- Measurable: I will call each of these people twice per week.
- Achievable: I talk to these people regularly, and we always say how it’d be nice to talk more.
- Relevant: I want to deepen my social ties, feel more loved and supported in my life, and support those I love.
- Time-bound: I will stick to this plan for 3 months, then re-evaluate and plan my next steps.
SMART Goal Example Summary:
I will call David, Sarah, and Mum twice per week for 3 months to develop my relationships with them.
Business SMART Goal Examples
Whether you want to start or grow a company, here are a few business SMART goal examples to help inspire your goal-setting process.
4. Start a Business
Weak Goal Example: I’m going to be an entrepreneur.
SMART Goal Example:
- Specific: I will start a dropshipping business.
- Measurable: I will work on my business for 1 hour each day, and the goal is to land my first sale within 2 weeks.
- Achievable: I have watched some videos on dropshipping and know that I can use Shopify to start a business quickly.
- Relevant: I want to quit my job, work from home, and be my own boss.
- Time-bound: I will begin on Saturday and land my first sale within two weeks.
SMART Goal Example Summary:
I will start a dropshipping business with Shopify on Saturday. I will spend 1 hour on this business each day and work to land my first sale within two weeks.
5. Market a Business
Weak Goal Example: I’m going to make more sales.
SMART Goal Example:
- Specific: I’m going to learn how to use Facebook Ads and invest 30% of my profits into this marketing channel.
- Measurable: The goal is to double my sales within 3 months.
- Achievable: I have a reasonably successful small business that is ready to handle a growth in sales.
- Relevant: I want to make 6-figures per year working from home.
- 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.
6. Grow a Business
Weak Goal Example: I’m going to grow my business.
SMART Goal Example:
- Specific: I’m going to hire a virtual assistant (VA) to manage customer service inquiries for me. That way, I can free up time to conduct product research and add new products to my store.
- Measurable: The goal is to hire a VA and add 5 new products to my store.
- Achievable: I have some experience hiring freelancers on Upwork, and I understand how to find winning products.
- Relevant: I aim to work on my business, not in my business so that I can grow my income and work less hours.
- Time-bound: I will hire a VA within 2 weeks and then add 5 new products to my store within 1 month.
SMART Goal Example Summary:
I will hire a VA to manage customer service inquiries within 2 weeks to free up time. I’ll use this time to research and add 5 new products to my store before the end of the month.
SMART Goal Examples for Work
Here are a couple of professional SMART goal examples for work to help you progress in a rewarding career.
7. Land a Dream Job
Weak Goal Example: I’m going to get a better job.
SMART Goal Example:
- Specific: I’m going to become a search engine optimization (SEO) specialist for a leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) company like Shopify and work remotely.
- Measurable: I will apply to a minimum of 8 job applications within two months.
- Achievable: I’ve worked as an SEO specialist for two years in an office for an accounting firm, and I’m good at my job.
- Relevant: I want to collaborate with interesting people, contribute to something innovative, and join a company with room for me to grow. Also, I want to travel long-term as a digital nomad.
- Time-bound: I will apply to 8 suitable job applications within two months by submitting 1 application per week.
SMART Goal Example Summary:
I will land my dream job working for a SaaS company like Shopify and travel long-term as a digital nomad. To achieve this, I will apply to 1 job per week for 2 months — submitting a total of 8 job applications.
8. Earn a Promotion
Weak Goal Example: I’m going to secure a promotion.
SMART Goal Example:
- Specific: I’m going to earn a promotion and become a senior SEO specialist.
- 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.
- 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.
- Relevant: I want to keep learning and challenging myself as I progress in my career.
- 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.
Leadership SMART Goal Examples
Here are some examples of SMART goals for leaders to illustrate how you can lead a team to success.
9. Improve Team Results
Weak Goal Example: I’m going to help my team land more sales.
SMART Goal Example:
- 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.
- Measurable: The goal is to increase the team’s sales by 5%.
- 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.
- Relevant: Our core aim is to grow company sales by more than 20% this year.
- 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 high qualified leads that are likely to purchase. We aim to increase sales by 5% within 3 months.
10. Manage a Team Effectively
Weak Goal Example: I’m going to help the team communicate better.
SMART Goal Example:
- Specific: I’m going to help the team communicate better to free up time wasted on communication inefficiencies. This way, the team can spend this time on their core responsibilities instead.
- Measurable: Our time-tracking software shows that team members spend an average of 1.5 hours per day on email. We aim to cut this time in half to 45 minutes per day.
- Achievable: We can avoid the confusion created by long email chains with a team messaging solution like Slack. If we implement a messaging solution, it’s plausible that we can drastically reduce the time spent on email.
- Relevant: I want to empower my team to produce their best work and increase their impact by reducing time wasted on unnecessary and inefficient tasks.
- Time-bound: We will implement a messaging solution within two weeks and half the time spent on communication within the next month.
SMART Goal Example Summary:
I will improve team communication and free up wasted time by implementing a team messaging solution within two weeks. The aim is to cut the time spent on messaging from an average of 1.5 hours to 45 minutes per day per team member within 1 month.
Summary: How to Write a SMART Goal
Why are SMART goals effective? In short, they can help you gain clarity on your objective and ensure that you do what’s needed to achieve your goals.
In summary, follow these 5 simple steps when learning how to set smart goals:
- Specific: Determine what you want.
- Measurable: Identify what success is.
- Achievable: Make sure your goal is reasonable.
- Relevant: Ensure your goal aligns with your overarching goals.
- Time-bound: Set a deadline and create a schedule.
Now it’s your turn! Take a few minutes to set a SMART goal that will move you closer to your dream life or business.
Feeling brave? Share your new SMART goal in the comments below!
Want to Learn More?
- How to Improve Yourself: 20 Practical Self-Improvement Tips
- 10 Benefits of Reading Books: Why You Should Read Every Day
- How to Motivate Yourself: 20 Ways to Find Motivation
- 11 Best Motivational Podcasts That Will Unleash Your Potential
