Goals Need to be MEASURABLE

 A couple years ago I wanted to improve my physical endurance.  I set the goal of completing a marathon which means moving forward for 26.2 miles over the course of hours.  It was easy to see during training runs that I was going further.  Each month I could see progress towards the measurable goal of 26.2.Your goals need to be measurable.  You need to be able to know when you've achieved the goal.  You need to be able to see progress and movement forward towards the goal.  This aspect goes hand-in-hand with specific.  Specific focus helps define the measurable aspect of the goal.  When annual goals are measurable it aids in the process of setting monthly goals that help achieve it.

Tips to help you clarify

• What number can be associated with the goal?  Maybe it is a distance you want to be able to run or an amount you want to put in your retirement account.
• Is it possible to see progress towards your goal?   Where do you want to be in April? July? November?
• If you are having trouble coming up with a measure you may need to make your goal more narrow and specific.

 Click on one of the S.M.A.R.T.E.S.T. Goals elements below to jump to a more specific description of that area.  Click here to get an overview of the S.M.A.R.T.E.S.T. Goals system.SPECIFICMEASURABLEACHIEVABLERELEVANTTIME BOUNDEVALUATESHARETAILOR