One of the common characteristics that SMART, SMARTER, and SMARTEST goals share is that they are Achievable.
In the spirit of former late night television talk show host David Letterman, I’m going to share with you two top ten lists of features that differentiate achievable from potentially unachievable goals, and let me emphasize the word “potentially.”
Achievable Goals have the following features:
| 10. The goal is something that you want for yourself rather than something you want for someone else (e.g., “I want to lose 10 lbs. by year’s end” rather than “I want my significant other to lose 10 lbs. by year’s end”). |
| 9. You genuinely want to achieve the goal. |
| 8. You’re excited about achieving your goal. |
| 7. You’re ready to begin pursuing your goal in the foreseeable future. |
| 6. You’re willing to try almost anything, within reason, to achieve your goal. |
| 5. You’re willing to tell a supportive friend or family member about your goal. |
| 4. You have the ability to pursue and achieve your goal. |
| 3. You feel that the risk involved in pursuing your goal is manageable. |
| 2. A supportive friend or family member is satisfied that pursuing and achieving your goal is in your best interest. |
| 1. Pursuing and achieving your goal is within legal and ethical bounds, and will not legally or ethically jeopardize you or anyone else. |
Potentially Unachievable Goals have one or more of the following features:
| 10. The goal is something that someone else wants for you, rather than something you want for yourself (e.g., your doctor wants you to exercise more frequently, and you’re not so interested in doing so). |
| 9. The goal is something that someone else needs to pursue (e.g., your young-adult son needs to quit smoking). |
| 8. You feel completely incapable of achieving the goal, and just want to complain about your perceived inability to achieve it. |
| 7. You’re more committed to not achieving the goal than you are to achieving it. |
| 6. You’re unready, unwilling, and/or unable to pursue the goal within the foreseeable future. |
| 5. Your ability to pursue and achieve your goal involves the cooperation of someone who isn’t ready, willing, and/or able to cooperate with you. |
| 4. Achieving the goal will have little, if any, impact on your life or future. |
| 3. You’re unwilling to play an active role in achieving the goal. |
| 2. You’re too fearful to pursue the goal. |
| 1. You’re convinced that little, if anything, will change as a result of you achieving the goal. |
Please note: The above lists were created using information presented in Skibbins, D. (2007). Becoming a life coach. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.