SMART Goals -- Goal Setting -- Learn & Lead

Goal Setting

A Goal Without a Shape Is Just a Wish

"I want to get better at maths" and "I want to raise my maths test average from 65 to 75 by the end of this term, by redoing every practice paper and reviewing one mistake a day" are not the same kind of statement. Both describe a wish for something better. Only one of them tells you what to actually do, and how you would know if it worked.

SMART is a simple framework for turning a vague wish into a goal with an actual shape, something specific enough to act on and clear enough to check.

This section walks through what each letter means, and gives you practice turning a real, vague goal into one that could genuinely be followed through on.

The SMART framework was first written down by George T. Doran, a business consultant, in a short 1981 article for Management Review. His original version stood for Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic and Time-related. Over the decades since, it has evolved into the version most commonly taught today: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.

George T. Doran, Management Review, 1981

Reflection

What Students Sometimes Think

Here are some thoughts students have shared about setting goals for themselves.

All of these are honest responses. A vague goal is genuinely hard to stick to, not because of a lack of willpower, but because it does not tell you what to actually do next. What this section explores is how to give a goal enough shape to follow through on.

Practice

Check Your Understanding

Six questions on the ideas from this section. You will get immediate feedback after each answer.

Question 1 of 6

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Well Done

You have explored what makes a goal actually work, the five parts of the SMART framework, and how to turn a vague wish into something you can act on. The next step is a small one: take one goal you already have and rewrite it using all five letters. Head back to Rising Leaders to explore what is next.