When you are creating learning goals, life goals or project goals, it’s always a good idea to ensure the goals have “SMART” attributes.

Here is what SMART stands for:

S = Specific (e.g. “learn an instrument” would not be as specific as learn to play the piano)

M = Measurable (e.g. “start exercising” would not be specific but “jog twice a week for half an hour” would be. It would be possible later to see if you had met that goal or not)

A = Attainable (e.g. “Double my company’s revenues in one day” would likely not be attainable. “Increasing my company’s revenues by 10% in one year” would likely be more attainable.

R = Realistic (e.g. “become the fastest sprinter in the world” for everyone but the world’s top athletes would likely not be realistic. “Run 10 kilometres in under 60 minutes” might be more realistic for the amateur athlete).

T = Time based (i.e. the goal has a time frame. “Learn how to use MS Word 2007 to create business reports by December 31, 2010″ would be better than “Learn MS Word”.