Effective goals are S.M.A.R.T.

Specific. Not general like “I’m going to be a better husband.”  Specific like “I’m going to support my wife by taking on the responsibility of doing the laundry.”

Measurable. We can measure if I do the laundry.  I can wash all the dirty clothes daily, or we can determine that I’ll empty dirty clothes hamper when it’s full and put the clothes back in their place clean.  Washing the clothes when I get around to it or when I feel like it isn’t measurable.

Agreeable. Goals should further you toward a desired result.  If I choose doing the clothes and my wife doesn’t see that as the right priority, I’m going backward on my goal of being a better husband.  I should identify a better target and make a specific, measurable goal that meets her needs better.

Reachable. Goals that aren’t readily attainable will fail.  It’s much better to establish smaller, reachable goals that build on each other than to create a large, difficult goal which you might get discouraged as you pursue it and quit.

Time based. Pick a deadline and adhere to it.  You’re at point A when you start a goal.  Point B is a specific, measurable, reachable, agreeable target.  Giving yourself a time to achieve it contributes to an urgency needed to become an effective goal setter.

What goals are you working on right now?  Are they SMART?

 Specific. Not general like “I’m going to be a better husband.”  Specific like “I’m going to support my wife by taking on the responsibility of doing the laundry.”

Measurable. We can measure if I do the laundry.  I can wash all the dirty clothes daily, or we can determine that I’ll empty dirty clothes hamper when it’s full and put the clothes back in their place clean.  Washing the clothes when I get around to it or when I feel like it isn’t measurable.

Agreeable. Goals should further you toward a desired result.  If I choose doing the clothes and my wife doesn’t see that as the right priority, I’m going backward on my goal of being a better husband.  I should identify a better target and make a specific, measurable goal that meets her needs better.

Reachable. Goals that aren’t readily attainable will fail.  It’s much better to establish smaller, reachable goals that build on each other than to create a large, difficult goal which you might get discouraged as you pursue it and quit.

Time based. Pick a deadline and adhere to it.  You’re at point A when you start a goal.  Point B is a specific, measurable, reachable, agreeable target.  Giving yourself a time to achieve it contributes to an urgency needed to become an effective goal setter.

What goals are you working on right now?  Are they SMART?