How to Write Measurable Personal Goals

Everyone has goals like improving fitness, reducing debt, organizing personal space or spending more time with loved ones. To prevent the same goals from rattling around for years without getting done, write them down, display them in a prominent place and check them weekly. The SMART goal-setting process used in business provides a solid model for writing specific, measurable, attainable, realistic or relevant, and time-framed or tangible personal goals. Goals involve building new habits, and as you write and implement, remember to give new behaviors 30 days to become habits.

Instructions

• 1

  Base your goals on your personal values and remember that goal setting involves compromise. Think of goals as flexible guidelines that can evolve as needed. Check each goal with the SMART criteria.

• 2

  Identify specific goal areas such as time management, people, money, health, leisure, spirituality, living space or other personal choices that come to mind.

• 3

  Choose an issue in each area. For time management, a SMART goal could read, "Every work day or school day I will get out of bed the first time the alarm goes off."

• 4

  Think about your most important goal regarding people. You could write, "I will read to my child for 10 minutes, three times a week," or "I will call or email a loved one every Saturday."

• 5

  Reduce stress about money with a concrete goal such as, "I will pay bills within three days of payday." A long-range goal could target a date to pay off a credit card and the amount of each monthly payment.

• 6

  Build on strengths. With any goal, focus on what you can do and improve on it. A health goal could read, "With my health provider's approval, I will walk one block a day and add one each week until I can walk for 10 blocks."

• 7

  Improve leisure time with a focus such as "I will spend 30 uninterrupted minutes a week in my wood shop."

• 8

  Develop your spiritual life with a goal such as "I will devote five minutes, four days a week to reading, meditation, or prayer at bedtime." Modify to incorporate your personal preferences.

• 9

  Make your living space more pleasing by writing a goal that works toward solving whatever bothers you. A goal might read, "I will reduce clutter by putting things away whenever I finish using them."

• 10

  Prioritize the most urgent issues to avoid frustration. By laying out a plan to work on one thing for the first month and adding another in the second or third month, you can experience success that motivates you to tackle the next goal.

• 11

  Plan for setbacks, failures and the unexpected. Life happens while we strive to achieve goals. Forgive yourself and get back on track as quickly as possible.

• 12

  Reward yourself and set new goals to expand on each achievement. Work with your spouse, partner, roommate or a friend to help you stay focused.