You've heard that goals should be "SMART", but most examples online are written for office targets: "increase quarterly sales by 10%". That's not much help when your goal is to sleep better, pay off a credit card or phone your mum more often.
Below you'll find a quick explanation of SMART, then ready-to-use examples across five areas of personal life. Borrow them, change the numbers, and make them yours.
What SMART stands for
The SMART idea is usually traced back to a 1981 article by George Doran on writing management objectives. The letters have been adapted many times since, but the most common version is:
- Specific: clear enough that anyone could picture it.
- Measurable: there's a number, count or tick box.
- Achievable: a stretch, but realistic for your life right now.
- Relevant: it matters to you, not just to someone else.
- Time-bound: it has a deadline or a regular schedule.
The point isn't to fill in a form. It's to turn "I'd like to…" into something you can actually start on Monday.
A simple SMART goal template
Fill in the gaps:
"I will [specific action] [how much or how often] by [date], so that [why it matters to me]."
For example: "I will walk for 30 minutes, five days a week, until the end of March, so that I have more energy in the afternoons."
SMART goals for health
- Vague: "Get fit." SMART: "I will complete a beginner 5k running plan, three sessions a week, and run 5k without stopping by 1 May."
- Vague: "Drink more water." SMART: "I will drink a glass of water with each meal and fill a 1-litre bottle every morning for the next 30 days, ticking it off on my calendar."
- Vague: "Sleep better." SMART: "I will be in bed with lights out by 11pm on at least five nights a week for the next four weeks."
- Vague: "Eat healthier." SMART: "I will cook dinner at home four nights a week and plan the meals every Sunday for the next two months."
SMART goals for money
- Vague: "Save more." SMART: "I will set up a £75 automatic transfer to savings every payday and have £900 saved by the end of the year."
- Vague: "Get out of debt." SMART: "I will pay £150 a month extra towards my credit card, starting this month, and clear the balance within 14 months."
- Vague: "Spend less." SMART: "I will track every purchase in a notes app for 30 days and review the list each Sunday to find two things to cut."
- Vague: "Be better with money." SMART: "I will read one personal finance book a month for the next three months and write down one action from each."
SMART goals for career
- Vague: "Get a better job." SMART: "I will update my CV by 15 October and apply for at least two suitable roles every week until the end of December."
- Vague: "Learn new skills for work." SMART: "I will complete an online spreadsheet course, studying 30 minutes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, by the end of November."
- Vague: "Network more." SMART: "I will message one former colleague or industry contact each week for the next 10 weeks to catch up."
- Vague: "Ask for a pay rise." SMART: "I will list my achievements from this year by the end of the month and book a meeting with my manager before my annual review."
SMART goals for relationships
- Vague: "Spend more time with family." SMART: "I will have one phone-free family meal every Sunday for the next three months."
- Vague: "Keep in touch with friends." SMART: "I will arrange to see or call one friend every fortnight and keep a list so I rotate through everyone."
- Vague: "Be a better partner." SMART: "I will plan one simple date night a month, taking turns to choose, for the next six months."
- Vague: "Be more patient with my kids." SMART: "I will spend 15 minutes of one-to-one play time with each child, three evenings a week, for the next month."
SMART goals for learning
- Vague: "Learn a language." SMART: "I will practise Spanish for 15 minutes a day on a learning app and hold a 5-minute conversation with a tutor by 30 June."
- Vague: "Read more." SMART: "I will read 20 pages before bed on weeknights and finish one book a month this year."
- Vague: "Learn to cook." SMART: "I will cook one new recipe every weekend for the next 12 weeks and save the best five in a folder."
- Vague: "Get better at guitar." SMART: "I will practise for 20 minutes, four days a week, and play one full song from start to finish by the end of January."
If learning is your focus, the Lifelong Learning Prime Protocol pairs well with any of these.
Try this today
Pick one example above from the area of life you care about most. Copy it, change the numbers and dates so they fit your week, and write it on a sticky note by your bed.
Three mistakes to avoid
- Making it too big. "Achievable" means achievable for you, this month, with your job, family and energy. Start smaller than you think. You can always raise the bar.
- Measuring the result, not the action. "Lose 5kg" depends on many things you can't fully control. "Walk 30 minutes, five days a week" is fully in your hands. Where possible, include an action you can tick off.
- Setting ten SMART goals at once. Each goal needs attention and time. Choose one or two per season and give them room.
The SMART Goals Prime Protocol helps you check each letter, and the Daily Progress Prime Protocol keeps the tick boxes moving once you've started.
PRIME AFFIRMATIONS · READ THEM ALOUD
My goals are clear and within my reach.
I know exactly what I am working towards.
I take one measurable step forward today.
Start today
Use the template once: "I will [action] [how often] by [date], so that [why]." Choose one area of life, write your sentence, and put the first action in your calendar for this week. A single well-written goal is worth more than a page of wishes.
The 5-Minute Start Method (free toolkit)
A free printable toolkit to get started on anything in five minutes, even when you don't feel like it.
Stop Procrastinating: 30-Day Action & Consistency Workbook
30 days of small, guided actions to beat procrastination and build momentum.
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