4.1 Goals as SMART objectives
The acronym SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound) is used in project management in business, but also increasingly in many other fields. This is a useful tool in setting goals because it forces you to be much more precise about what you are aiming for and therefore more likely to achieve your desired outcome. While they are used regularly in a business context, you can apply the following principles to your own action plan:
- Specific: say exactly what you want to achieve
- Measurable: how will you know you have achieved it?
- Achievable: is it feasible – what barriers are there that will need to be overcome?
- Relevant: how does it relate to the overall goal?
- Time-bound: when will you do this?
Activity 3 Creating your action plan
Allow about 45 minutes
This activity will guide you through creating your own action plan.
First, open your Action Plan template.
Next, enter the following details:
- description of goal
- what it will involve
- exactly how you will do this
- resources needed
- when you are going to do it
- in the Notes section you can enter things like the possible consequences for yourself and others, and any barriers that need to be overcome.
You can now go on to create more action points related to specific goals for work, education, and personal life. You might well find that as you start to think creatively in one area of your life, you begin to develop ideas for action in others. Think of this as the start of a process. There is a sample action plan in the Further reading section.
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