SMART Goals

Goals provide the foundation for everything we do. Our dreams are goals, our jobs are goal orientated, our education is based on goals...we all make goals all the time. Writing goals down is a powerful and effective way of providing a benchmark for daily life and a basis to check progress and maintain focus.

The iKi Challenge wants you to create goals for yourself and wants them to be SMART. Rollover the words below to find out more.

Specific 

General or broad goals need to become Specific goals as soon as possible. To become specific, ask questions like WHO would be involved? WHERE will I go to perform the elements of the goal? WHEN will I achieve the goal? WHY would I bother doing this? WHAT constraints are there on achieving the goal?

Measurable

A goal will be broken down into smaller elements. Many of those elements will be measurable – How Many, How Much, By When?
Use milestones to plot key performance points or achievements.

Attainable

By recording and planning your goals, you will find opportunities, skills, and capacity which would have normally been hidden.  You will typically grow to meet the challenge ahead.

Realistic

How high should your goal be? You must believe that the goal is achievable. You need to be willing to work at the goal – and you should be able to work at that goal. Has this type of goal been achieved in the past, and how?

Tangible 

A goal should engage your traditional senses: sight, touch, smell, taste, hearing. This will make your goal more real in your mind – you will then be able to better focus on making the goal measurable and attainable.

Keeping a journal is a good way to record your goals and check your progress. Begin your iKi Challenge journal with a benchmarking activity.

If your are at school, download your quick benchmarking activity here

Quick Benchmarking Activities for School (18 KB)

If your are an adult, download your quick benchmarking activity here

Quick Benchmarking Activities for Adults (18 KB)

Next you will want to begin Setting Goals. Print them and start building your journal by writing your long and short term goals.

Setting Goals (49 KB)

Now, put it all together and complete the My Goals sheet for your journal.

My Goal (22 KB)