The SMART criteria is a framework that is widely used to guide the setting of Objectives, making them more effective and achievable. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Each element of the SMART framework breaks down as follows:
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Specific: Objectives should be clear and specific, making it easy to understand what is expected, why it is important, who is involved, where it is going to happen, and which resources or limits are involved. Specificity helps to focus efforts and clearly define what is to be achieved.
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Measurable: The goal should have specific criteria that measure your progress towards the accomplishment of the goal. Measurable goals help to track progress and stay motivated. Assessing progress helps to stay focused, meet deadlines, and feel the excitement of getting closer to achieving the goal.
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Achievable: The goal needs to be realistic and attainable to be successful. It should stretch your abilities but remain possible. An achievable goal will usually answer questions such as: How can I accomplish this goal? How realistic is the goal, based on other constraints, such as financial factors?
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Relevant: This step is about ensuring that the goal matters to you and that it also aligns with other relevant goals. A relevant goal can answer “yes” to these questions: Does this seem worthwhile? Is this the right time? Does this match our other efforts/needs? Are you the right person to reach this goal? Is it applicable in the current socio-economic environment?
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Time-Bound: Every goal needs a target date, so that you have a deadline to focus on and something to work toward. This part of the SMART goal criteria helps to prevent everyday tasks from taking priority over your longer-term goals. A time-bound goal will usually answer the question: When?
By using the SMART criteria, goals are designed to be more concrete, clear, and easy to implement and track. This approach is often used in project management, personal development, and business strategy setting.