“SMART” SUMMARY

How is “SMART” defined and what are its components?

By: María Fernanda Valdez 10 A

SMART is basically an acronym that you can use to guide your goal setting. Its criteria

are commonly attributed to Peter Drucker's Management by Objectives. An interesting fact

is that the Professor Robert S Rubin wrote about SMART for an article in the Society for

an Organizational Psychology.

Its major components are...

 Specific (simple, sensible, significant).

 Measurable (meaningful, motivating).

 Achievable (agreed, attainable).

 Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).

 Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).

SMART can be used for objectives and important purposes…

For stating “Specific” the goal should be clear and precise or the individual won’t

be able to feel motivated for obtaining the goal. Furthermore, the five “W” questions for
getting a wide vision of the objective. Questions that start with What, Why, Who, Where

and Which

Moreover, for stating “Measurable” each individual must have quantifiable goals

for tracking progress and development of it for keeping the motivation. This contributes to

the fact that being focused will aid for getting closer to the objectives and goals. Some

questions which are key are: “How much?” or “How many?”

In addition, your goal must be realistic or “Achievable” for being a successful

objective. When an individual sets an achievable goal, overlooked opportunities may bring

him closer to it. Some questions related to the topic are: “How can I accomplish this goal?”

Or” How realistic is the goal, based on other constraints, such as financial factors?”

An important factor for obtaining a goal is the fact that it must be “Relevant” for

the individual, this will keep motivation and focus on THAT goal. Sincerely, we all need

assistance for obtaining the goals. In other words, is essential for making plans that will

make you achieve an individual`s goal. Some questions that will help for seeking relevance

are: “Does this seem worthwhile?” Or “Is this the right time?”

Finally, every goal must be related with “Time-bound”. This means that an

objective need to have a target date for maintaining focus. This will be key in for
completing the goal. This part of SMART assists in keeping the goal as a main focus on

top of daily tasks. Some questions that are answered with this are:” When?” or “What can I

do six months from now?”

As everything, SMART has its Benefits and its Drawbacks. Firstly, SMART

provides clarity and focus that are key for completing goals. In addition, it also improves

the ability to reach those goals by motivation in an individual`s daily life. Finally, the goals

are easy to use by anyone, anywhere and without the help of an external factor like a

specialist or training.

On the other hand, SMART can also lose its effectiveness or misunderstood. Some people

affirm that SMART doesn’t work in log-term goals since it lacks in flexibility.