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Who is this SMART Goals Guide for?
This SMART Goal Setting and Action Planning Guide is specifically designed for coaches! Understand more about making Goals SMART, get goal-setting tips to use with your clients and gain a deeper understanding of goal-setting for your personal growth and to help you grow your Coaching Business.
Beginning with an overview of the SMART Acronym and with a helpful SMART graphic, this guide deeply explores each element of SMART goal setting. It also includes SMART Goals examples throughout!
What we cover in this SMART Goals Article
In this guide to SMART Goals for coaches, we'll take you through everything you want to know including lots of helpful SMART Goals Examples:
So What is a SMART Goal?
SMART Goals Stand For
- Specific: Clear and specific goals are easier to achieve, and help you to get started!
- Measurable: When goals are measurable, this tells you when a goal or action is complete and helps you track your progress.
- Actionable: To be successful, you need to have direct control over the action steps required to achieve your goal.
- Realistic: We stay motivated and avoid overwhelm and unnecessary stress and frustration by making your goal realistic.
- Timebound: A goal with an end-date helps us stay focused and motivated, inspiring us with a date to work towards.
TIP: A SMART goal is easier to achieve because it's so clearly thought out and defined.
SMART Acronym Graphic
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A Little History of SMART Goals
The SMART Goals acronym began as a set of criteria for managers to set better goals within organizations. But the SMART acronym is so powerful (and catchy) that it began to be used in personal goal setting too.
When were SMART Goals created?
The first reference to SMART Goals (according to Wikipedia) is in 1981 in a magazine called Management Review.
Who created SMART Goals?
George T. Doran is the creator or SMART Goals. He wrote a paper: There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management's goals and objectives. In this paper he discussed the challenges of documenting goals and objectives for management within organizations. Of interest to coaches is that George believed that the power of this approach came from the clear and specific goal combined with an action plan. In this paper Doran's SMART Acronym was:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Assignable - identify who will do it
- Realistic
- Time-related
Interestingly, the A (Assignable in Doran's acronym above) is the only letter that has substantially changed in the switchover to personal goal setting. In personal goal setting "Assignable" doesn't make sense as the goal is already assigned (to you). And because taking action is so important, I have chosen A - Actionable as the replacement A in the SMART criteria.
Variations on the SMART Criteria
When setting SMART objectives, it is important to recognise that there are many minor variations on the SMART criteria. All variations still remain true to the power of SMART Goals being clear and specific, both the person owning them, and to others observing. The "Specific" and "Measurable" criteria are almost always consistently used, while the "A" and "R" may vary. The "T" is usually some version of having a clear time line.
Some other SMART Criteria examples include:
- Other As - Assignable (the original definition for use in setting management objectives), Achievable, Attainable, Agreed, Action-oriented, Ambitious, Aligned with corporate goals.
- Other Rs - Relevant, Resourced, Reasonable, Results-based.
- Other Ts - Time-related, Time-limited, Time-based, Time-oriented, Timely, Time-sensitive.
Don't be distracted by this, the whole point of having SMART GOALS is to bring clarity to what it is that you want to achieve.
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Let's Look at SMART Goal Setting
SMART goal setting is an art! Begin with a vision or an idea and gradually refine it, making it more specific and measurable until it becomes a goal you can action. As a coach, we ask questions to help our clients to refine and hone their ideas so that their goals become actionable, achievable—and SMART!
SMART Goals ExampleAll too often people set goals that are not SMART. Here's an example of how you might take a non-SMART Goal and make it SMART. Starting Non-SMART Goal:
Consider: With the goal Get more sales, there is no clarity on how you would when you've achieved it How would you measure progress/know you're on track? Where would you start? Does $1 more in sales count as as success? or does it need to be $1 Million? Could this be any product or service? or is the goal to sell more of something specific? Let's look at how the SMART criteria can help. Here are some different ways you can do this:
The Final SMART Goals Example now reads:
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| TIP: Whilst SMART may seem like an acronym to follow one step at a time, as above, when you apply it you'll find yourself jumping around. Be prepared to change your goal as you hone, refine and understand it more deeply! SMART goal setting is a process - and an art. |
SMART Goals are Specific
Have you ever struggled to get started on a task because you didn't really understand what you needed to do, or the task seems too big and fuzzy?
Well, you're not alone! Many people struggle with getting started on their goals - simply because they haven't made their goals specific enough. They have a dream or a vision, but haven't narrowed it down to a Goal.
It can take a little time, but it's well worth the effort: The more specific your goals are, the easier they are to achieve! When you're clear on what you want, it is easier to make decisions and take action because you know exactly what you're trying to do.
I always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific. Jane Wagner
How making goals SPECIFIC makes them EASIER to achieve:
A SMART Goal Example - being more SPECIFIC:
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| TIP: SMART is not just for Goals! In order for you to be most effective both your goals and actions should be SMART. After all, actions are really just small goals! |
SMART Goals are Measurable
How will you KNOW you've achieved your goal unless you can measure it?
If you can't prove you've completed the goal then it's not measurable—which means it's not a SMART goal. And measurability is often the very essence of making your goals specific.
Goals that are Measurable are also goals that you can see progress towards. This is an important aspect of ongoing motivation towards goals. Being able to see and measure progress gives us the energy to continue, as well as to face and overcome challenges and obstacles.
A SMART Goal Example:
More SMART Goals Examples:
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3 TIPS to Make Goals SMART - and Measurable
- Connect to your Why: One way to find your measure is to ask "Why am I doing this? Why bother?". This will help you identify why you're doing it—and identify the measures to be sure your goals are successfully completed.
- Use numbers: Often choosing specific numbers can help you increase measurability. This could be a financial amount, a percentage increase or some kind of count. Note that for some goals and actions, the only measure is a "yes" or "no" to completion of the task. Ie. your new website is live, or you have registered your business name, just make sure that this is actually your goal—not just a step towards it.
- Observable by others: If you don't know how to prove to someone that the goal is complete, then your goal measure is not specific enough. The "acid test" for measurability is to ask "How do I prove I've completed this goal?" For example:
- Rather than "Create a new product" your measurable goal could be "The new product is available to buy on your website".
- And rather than "Finish my book", your measurable goal is "The final manuscript has been sent to the editor." Clear—and provable!
Measurability is important for Actions too (actions are really just small goals!)
SMART Action Examples
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SMART Goals are Actionable
We can't control fate—or other people. But we can control our own actions... So for a goal to be SMART it must be actionable by us, and within our control. Otherwise it's not a goal, it's a wish!
Actionable Goals
Actionable goals are those that you can DO something about ie. they consist of a number of actions—within your control—that lead to the achievement of your goal.
| SMART GOALS EXAMPLE: Your goal is not to "Get potential clients to see what you offer as excellent value" (you have no control over what people think of you), but to "Write a document that lists my unique selling points and the benefits of my service to potential clients". This goal is now actionable. In addition, two follow-on actions could be, to "Add these selling points and benefits to the 'Why coach with me?' page on my website". Another could be "Pick the 3 most powerful points and send them to my graphic designer to add them to the back of my business card and email signature". |
Also Make Your Goals Action-oriented
Making a goal action-oriented also encourages you to write ACTIVE and not passive goals.
| SMART GOALS EXAMPLE: Your goal is not to "Have a giveaway with newsletter sign-up on your website" (this is vague and passive and while loosely actionable, it is not action-oriented and does not inspire action). But your goal could be to "Write a one page special report on 7 ways to take better care of our feelings and add it as the newsletter sign-up gift for your website". |
Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. James Allen
SMART Goals are Realistic
It is no point having a goal if you don't want to work towards it. It's important to feel GOOD about your goals. When we set ourselves a goal that's out of our reach we often end up feeling overwhelmed, we self-judge, and sometimes we give up altogether. Truly SMART goals feel great!
As well as energising, it is important to consider what it will look like to achieve your goals in light of everything else that is going on in your life. You want to set goals you can achieve in addition to everything else that is important in your life. Goal setting is not about getting overwhelmed - it is the opposite.
SMART goals and actions need to be challenging enough to inspire you. AND they need to be realistic enough that you believe you can achieve it—it's all about setting yourself up for success.
This is the part of goal-setting where you get to assess your goals, to confirm that they are what you want, and to have a look at the impact of achieving them. It is easy to set a goal, but achievements come when the goal and the plan are clear.
4 TIPS to Make Goals SMART - and Realistic
- POSSIBILITY: Is it physically possible to complete the Goal or Action in question? While stretch goals can be inspiring even when they're unlikely—impossible goals drain us! Stretching too far can be overwhelming.
- CHUNKING DOWN: Struggling with a big action or goal? Break it down.
- For Goals ask: "What would be a great stepping stone?", "What goal could I set that would prepare me or give me knowledge or experience that will help me achieve this bigger goal?" and "What could I achieve in a month, 3 months or a year that would get me closer to my dream?"
- For Actions ask: "What could I start or spend a chunk of time on?" and "What would be an easy first step, preparation action, request for help or action to remove an obstacle?" You can break out the first step into an action or set yourself a target of working on something for a chunk of time like 1 day or 3 hours.
- COMMITMENT: Make your action doable, ie. the right size so that you can commit to it 100%.
NOTE: Commitment is important—although it doesn't necessarily mean the goal or action will get done. Sometimes life gets in the way and opportunities or problems arise which prevent us from achieving what we set out to do. However, it needs to be something that people CAN commit to achieving it. - SCORING: One way to check-in as to how Realistic your goal is, is to score how likely you feel you will achieve your goals (out of 10). If your score is LESS THAN 8:
- Your goal or action may be TOO big or challenging.
- You may not feel connected enough to WHY you're doing it.
- You may lack self-belief (which is an obstacle in itself).
- There may be some other obstacles you haven't fully acknowledged or addressed yet.
| TOP TIP: When estimating, think carefully how long the action will realistically take.
Because we tend to underestimate how long tasks will take, especially if we haven't done it before. A good rule of thumb (from my Project Management days) is to double your first thought of how long the action or goal will take. And if you haven't done it before, try tripling or even quadrupling your estimate. It sounds extreme, but this is a great way to reduce stress—and surprisingly accurate. Worst case scenario - you over estimate and have time to review, or work on another goal. Best case means that you don't have to stress about the unknown deadline being unrealistic, and you have space to learn how to be successful on this goal! |
Create a RANGE of Goal Achievement Levels
One way to make a goal realistic, is to create a RANGE of goal achievement levels. Having a goal completion range is a great way to take the pressure off, while still inspiring yourself with a stretch goal. Creating a range means that you give yourself a minimum, target, and stretch levels of goal achievement.
- Minimum - This should be relatively EASY to achieve. Set this at a level that is easily achievable in the timeframe. Pick a level that you would be happy with and that reflects progress. After all, life sometimes does throw unexpected things our way—positive opportunities, charming distractions and painful experiences!
- Target - This is your IDEAL level. What would be your ideal level to aim for? What would be enough of a stretch to be interesting, but not so much of a stretch that you find yourself switching off or avoiding it? Often, this is the target that you started with.
- Extraordinary - This is your STRETCH level! What would be amazing, brilliant, or wonderful to achieve? Put in a measure here where you would say, "Wow, that is fabulous!" This level would probably be something you want to brag about (at least to yourself - "You won't believe what I just did!") NOTE: Be sure that your measure here is POSSIBLE, even if it is not PROBABLE.
Examples of Setting a RANGE for Goal Achievement:
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If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them. Henry David Thoreau
SMART Goals are Timebound
SMART goals and actions are always Timebound ie. they have a date by when you plan to complete them.
Annual goals have an automatic "deadline" of December 31 (or the end of your year). But sometimes a date is fixed or imposed on us, for example if we're booked to deliver a workshop on a specific date. Other times we must choose a date, so we have something to aim at.
But without a date there's less incentive to work toward our goals, things can always be put off until tomorrow—how do we know what we're aiming at? And we're all so busy! How are we going to fit more activity into our lives? How can we prioritise our activities unless we have a clear deadline to know this goal/action is important to us?
Also, consider that our action plan to achieve a goal a month from now will look very different (in terms of effort, solutions and help required) compared to a deadline of one year from now. So setting a date allows us to work backwards and figure out an appropriate action plan.
Lastly, a date also gives us the opportunity to visualise completion. It allows you to imagine that time in the future when you have completed it—and that helps us commit to our goal! This is also essential for accountability. As a coach you know when to follow up, and with our goals, our accountability partners know when to be ready to celebrate with us!
Here are 3 TIPS to Make Goals Timebound
- Pick a date that inspires you, but one that's not so challenging that you feel overwhelmed. Where possible, have a reason for this date (a purpose).
- Different dates may also represent the relative priority or urgency of different actions. For example, a goal or action with a completion date of March 31 is likely to be higher priority than a goal with a completion date of September 30.
- For each goal, you can give yourself a RANGE of completion dates (Minimum, Target and Extraordinary) as detailed under the "Make it Realistic" above.
5 Final Tips to Be Smart about HOW We Set Our Goals
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Successful goal setting is not just about using the SMART criteria. We also need to BE smart about our goals. Here are 5 final tips to help you and your clients both set - and achieve - your goals.
- Work hard, but know when to rest. And forgive yourself—for what you don't yet know, for your mistakes and what might get in the way. (Often we forget to set goals for rest and recovery!)
- Be kind to yourself! Know that we tend to overestimate what's achievable in a shorter time-frame, and underestimate what we can achieve over a longer period. We often overestimate what we can achieve in year, and underestimate what we can achieve in a decade!
- Anytime the goal isn't working for you, change the goal! The best goals flex when they need to. Keep the vision, change how you get there!
- Remember that SMART is for Actions too!
- More important than hard work—determination and perseverance are essential qualities for achieving bigger goals! Keeping going when the going gets tough is what sets you apart from the crowd. These qualities also build self-confidence, resilience and make you proud of yourself!
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Wrap-up
Goals can be fun and inspiring, in fact, they SHOULD be! Great goal setting is not just about what we write on the paper, it is also about the energy we have inside us, and having a clear path upon which to focus that energy. Using the SMART criteria helps us to clearly define our goals so they're easier to track and get started. SMART also makes it easier to take action, stay motivated—and ultimately succeed!
I have always loved goal-setting—and SMART goal-setting in particular! So I hope this guide helps you and your clients set smarter and more inspiring goals—and have more fun working towards them!
Finally, remember this:
GOALS are there to INSPIRE YOU, not to beat yourself up with! Now that's SMART!
If you liked this article about SMART Goals, you may also like:
- Infographic: 10 SMART and Unusual Goal-Setting & Action Planning Tips
- Article: What to Ask When a Client Consistently Fails to Complete their Actions!
- Our Vision & Goal-Setting Toolkit or the Free Resource 21 Questions to Extraordinary Goal-Setting
© 2009-2025 Simplicity Life Coaching Ltd.
Contributing Author:
Emma-Louise Elsey is passionate about kindness, coaching and personal development and has been coaching since 2003. She's the Founder and Former CEO of The Coaching Tools Company, and Founder of Fierce Kindness. Originally a project and relationship manager for Fortune 500 companies she loves to create coaching tools and exercises, including lots of free coaching tools for you here at The Coaching Tools Company. Through Fierce Kindness she helps people create a life they love, make a difference and learn to be kind to themselves.
She'd love you to sign-up for the Fierce Kindness Newsletter and grab a free How to Be Kind to Yourself Workbook. Or connect personally on Linkedin, Facebook or Instagram.
Learn more about Emma-Louise & see all their articles here >>
Image of Coach peering around laptop by stockfour via Shutterstock
Image of Coach pointing to S - SPECIFIC by Asier Romero via Shutterstock
Image of Client making SMART goal measurable using hands for M - MEASURABLE by Krakenimages.com via Shutterstock
Image of Coach making notes in folder for A - ACTIONABLE by EHStockphoto via Shutterstock
Image of Coach Hugging Notes for R - REALISTIC by ESB Professional via Shutterstock
hello emma louise. i need help setting my goals - in one year then in 5 years then 10 years. for example i want to be a soccer coach? but i need to put it better like - in 1 year i want to have certificate in soccer coaching then in 5 years i want to ???. how can i used SMART goals?
Hi arth,
This sounds like a great fit for SMART goals. I recommend you grab the SMART goals PDF as there are lots of SMART goal examples which break down how to do this.
The other recommendation I have is to set your goals backwards. So start with where you want to be in 10 years, then 5 years, then 2 years and 1 year. That way you will be figuring out where you need to be in one year in order to achieve your 5 or 10 year goals!
I hope this helps and appreciate your comment and question. Warmly, Emma-Louise
Thank you very much Emma-Louise. I am following you as a new business coacher. Thank you for your advice and lessons.