SMART goal setting is an effective process for setting and achieving your club goals. Applying the SMART process to your goals will help you to create more specific, achievable targets for your club, and to measure your progress toward them.

SMART Goals is an acronym that stands for:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Relevant
T – Time- based

Specific

Great goals are well-defined and focused. Goals that are specific have a significantly greater chance of being accomplished. To make a goal specific, consider the five “W” questions:

  1. Who: Who is involved in this goal?
  2. What: What do I want to accomplish?
  3. Where: Where is this goal to be achieved?
  4. When: When do I want to achieve this goal?
  5. Why: Why do I want to achieve this goal?

Measurable

A goal without a measurable outcome is like a footy game without a scoreboard or timekeeper. A SMART goal must have criteria for measuring progress. To make a goal measurable, ask yourself:

  1. How many/much?
  2. How do I know if I have reached my goal?
  3. What is my indicator of progress?

Achievable

Dream big and aim for the stars but keep one foot firmly based in reality. A SMART goal must be achievable and attainable. The achievability of the goal should be stretched to make you feel challenged but defined well enough that you can achieve it. Ask yourself:

  1. What do I need to achieve the goal?
  2. Have others done it successfully before?

Relevant

The goal needs to be relevant to your club mission, values and strategic plan. Ask yourself:

  1. Why do you want to reach this goal?
  2. What is the objective behind the goal, and will this goal really achieve that?

Time-based

Club goals and objectives just don’t get done when there's no time frame tied to the goal-setting process. A SMART goal must be time-bound in that it has a start and finish date. If the goal is not time constrained, there will be no sense of urgency and motivation to achieve the goal. Ask yourself:

  1. Does my goal have a deadline?
  2. By when do you want to achieve your goal?

SMART goals set your club up for success by making it specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. The SMART method helps push your club further, gives you a sense of direction, and helps you organise and reach your goals.