Setting a SMART goal is a helpful way for students to envision their future, and take steps towards making it reality. In my opinion, it’s not a skill we are born with. It’s something we have to learn and work at over time. One step that sounds simpler than it is for students is actually writing the goal.

In my goal setting blog article, I outlined a step-by-step process you can use to help your student set goals. I mentioned that when it comes to writing the goal I use the SMART method.

There are a lot of different methods to write goals, and one isn’t better than another. It’s all about what works best for the student. The one I’ve had the most success with is the SMART methodology. It’s a functional framework that makes writing goals almost formulaic.

What is a SMART Goal?

SMART is an acronym that stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. In short, the written goal needs to have all five elements.

So as students write the goal, I actually walk through each term to make sure it meets the standard:

• Is it specific? – meaning is the goal narrowly focused on one skill, achievement, and so on.
• Is it measurable? – sometimes this trips students up. The measurement can really be anything…it just needs to be measurable. So it could be quantifiable (like grades, time, or amount); it could also be dichotomous (like yes or no, something happens or doesn’t happen, etc.)
• Is it achievable? – This is where an adult’s guidance can be really helpful. Sometimes really ambitious students want to do more than might be reasonable. Other times, students aren’t pushing themselves enough. It’s a balance. I like to remind students that we can always edit the goal latter on if we need to!
• Is it realistic? – This often ties with the achievable and measurable elements. So often if, after reading the goal, it doesn’t feel realistic students may need to adjust those two pieces.
• Is it timely? – I try to get students to focus on what they can achieve in a school year or calendar year. If they have ideas that seem to be longer term, embrace them! I have those students put those in a separate “5-year” category. Then we use those ideas to guide ideas for steps they can take within the year to achieve them.

Angel’s SMART Goal

Theory is nice, but I find it’s helpful to see an example. I’d like to introduce you to Angel, a hypothetical student.

Angel is a high school sophomore who dreams of going to college. Angel typically earns A’s, B’s, and C’s. With their desire to go to college, Angel knows their grades will need to be more consistent and at least in the B+ range. So they write the following academic goal:

By the end of the school year I want to earn a B+ or higher in all of my classes.

So, does it pass the SMART test?

• Specific – it’s focused on improving or maintaining grades in all of Angel’s classes
  Measurable – goal is measured by grades earned
• Achievable – given Angel’s current grades and the time-frame, I’d say this is achievable
• Realistic– with Angel’s age, college aspirations, time line, and current performance this is definitely realistic
• Timely – The goal is centered on Angel’s performance over the course of the school year, giving them sufficient time to achieve it.

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