Writing a SMART Plan

A SMART plan starts with your goals. Each goal should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time Specific. To follow the SMART plan, write it down and start working towards your goal.

Take Action

Studies show that those who write a concrete measurable plan for reaching a goal are more likely to reach it.

The following outline includes factors you may want to consider and identify when making your plan.

  1. Career Goal(s) (Define and write them down in order of priority.)
  2. Benefits and Advantages (Listing these may help to motivate you.)
  3. Key Steps (Tasks on the way to the goals.)
  4. What's the timeline? (Establish deadlines.)
  5. Support and Resources (Friends, family, time, money, contacts.)
  6. Outcomes and Reflection (What worked or did not work.)

A SMART plan is realistic. Realism requires that you be honest with yourself about your own skills, abilities, traits, and values. You also need realism when setting your goals. What is achievable and at what cost?

“Strengths Feedback” Exercise

Choose two or three people you respect and who know you fairly well. At least one should be a classmate or from your workplace. Tell them you are gathering feedback to help you evaluate your career direction and set up a meeting. Ask each of them the same three questions and record their answers.

  1. What do you see as my natural strengths?
  2. What do you think are my best skills?
  3. What kind of things could you see me doing well in the future?

Note: Sometimes the responses you get will be very valuable in helping you to see 'blind spots' about yourself. The one possible downside to this exercise is that sometimes our co-workers and friends can only see us in our past roles and this limits what they can see for us in the future.