In the past, I've written about SMART goal setting, but after much reading and thought, I realize now that goals need to be SMARTER in order to be most successful.

SMARTER goals, broken down:

S - Goals must be Specific and the more specific the better. State your goal in as exact of terms as possible.

M - Targets should be Measurable. That which you measure will be treasured, so think about what will be the measurement of your achievement of your goal.

A - Goals should have Accountability. Who or what are you accountable to for the goal?

R - Goals must be Realistic. Unrealistic goals will lead to discouragement.

T - Targets should be Time based. Decide your time-table for completion, and stick to it.

E - Goals should be Exciting. Exciting goals will be met far sooner than boring, bland goals.

R - Goals should be Recorded, in a place where you can look at it every day.

OK, so let's break down one of my goals for 2006, and see how this works in action.

I will earn by Competent Toast Master (CTM) designation by December 1st, 2006.

Specific - Yes, this is very specific. It says exactly what I am going to do.

Measurable - Yes, this is measurable. CTM designation is something that takes 10 speeches to do in Toastmasters, so if I do these 10 speeches, this goal will be achieved.

Accountability - I'm sharing it with you, so I'm accountable to all of you. I'm also including this in my goals at work, as public speaking is part of what I do, and letting my Toastmasters Mentor know about my goal (I'm sending him this post), so I am accountable to many others.

Realistic - This is absolutely a realistic goal for me. I have given 2 speeches in 2005, so I have to increase my output 4 times. I can do this, but it will take effort.

Exciting - Definitely an exciting goal for me to achieve. As a new Toastmaster, I will be able to improve my speaking ability by doing this, and it will also help our club achieve more distinguished status.

Recorded - I wrote it down here, I'll be putting it on a note card with my other goals, it will be in my HR system at work, and I'll review it every day to remind myself of its importance.

So what goals are you setting in 2006? How can I help you set SMARTER goals? Let me know because I'd love to help you make it great!

Phil Gerbyshak leads a team of IT help desk professionals in Milwaukee, WI, and finds that sharing his knowledge is a crucial component in his success as a leader and as a person. Phil's personal philosophy is paraphrased from Tim Sanders' fantastic book Love is the Killer App: "Share your knowledge, your network, and your love. The rest will follow." Read more of Phil's ideas at http://makeitgreat.org

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