SMART Goals & Coaching

Hi all,

I've found that helping people to develop SMART goals is a useful way of enhancing the coaching experience. Most people want to do well in life, and have some vague ideas of where they want to go or what they want to accomplish. But for many people, they can be greatly helped if they will apply the hard work of developing SMART goals. This will focus their efforts toward success, and give them a greater likelihood of reaching it.

What's a SMART goal?
SMART is an acronym for five-parts to a great goal. Here they are:

S - Specific
A goal needs to be very specific, and not general. “I will lose weight”
is better than “I will improve my looks.”

M – Measurable
A goal needs to have clear & quantifiable results so that you can
know if you achieved the goal or not. “I will lose 20 lbs.” Is better than “I will
lose weight.”

A - Achievable
A goal needs to be achievable, as psychologists tell us that wins
reinforce future wins. The goal needs to be small enough to be achievable,
but large enough to be meaningful. “I will lose 10 lbs” might be a better
way to start than “I will lose 20 lbs.”.

R – Relevant
A goal needs to be relevant, or meaningful, to you in your life
situation. This answers the question of “Why?” “I will lose 10 lbs, so I can
lower my risk of heart disease” is a more powerful goal than simply “I will
lose 10 lbs”, because it warns of possible consequences in not achieving
the goal, making it very relevant.

T – Time-specific
A goal needs to be time-specific in that a deadline for achievement
needs to be set. “I will lose 10 lbs. by June 1st, so I can lower my risk of
heart disease, (and look good in a swim suit)” is a SMART goal.


Powerful coaching involves asking powerful questions. Using SMART goals as a guide for your discussion will result in some great coaching sessions.

For the Kingdom of Heaven,

Dr. Bill