Many experts use the old S.M.A.R.T acronym to remember how a Goal Statement should be defined. What does SMART stand for?

The Goal Statement forms the basis for the entire process so careful attention should be placed on formulating a clear and accurate goal statement.

A good way to remember how a goal statement should be defined is the old S.M.A.R.T. acronym used by many experts in goal setting. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic, Time and Resource Constrained.   The Goal should be specific enough so that we know exactly what we are striving for, measurable so we can tell exactly when the goal has been reached, action-oriented to indicate an activity that will produce results, realistic in that it is practical and can be achieved, and time and resources constrained meaning that it has a definite deadline for completion and realizes limited availability of resources.