Exercise 3: Put Your Goal(s) to the “Achievement Test”

One characteristic 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 two top-ten lists that differentiate achievable from potentially unachievable goals, and let me emphasize the word “potentially.”

An Achievable Goal is a goal that:

10. 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.

8. You’re excited about achieving.

7.  You’re ready to begin pursuing in the foreseeable future.

6. You’re willing to try almost anything, within reason, to achieve.

5. You’re willing to tell a supportive friend or family member about.

4. You have the ability to pursue and achieve.

3. You feel that the risk involved in pursuing it is manageable.

2. A supportive friend or family member is satisfied that pursuing and achieving it is in your best interest.

1. Pursuing and achieving is within legal and ethical bounds, and will not legally or ethically jeopardize you or anyone else.

A Potentially Unachievable Goal is a goal that:

10. 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. Someone else needs to pursue, e.g., your young-adult son needs to quit smoking.

8. You feel completely incapable of achieving, and you just want to complain about your perceived inability to achieve it.

7. You’re more committed to not achieving than achieving.

6. You’re unready, unwilling, and/or unable to pursue within the foreseeable future.

5. Involves the cooperation of someone who isn’t ready, willing, and/or able to cooperate with you.

4. If/when achieved, would have little or no impact on your life or future.

3. You’re unwilling to play an active role in achieving.

2. You’re too fearful to pursue.

1. You’re convinced that little, if anything, will change as a result of you achieving it.

Please note: The above lists are based on information presented in Skibbins, D. (2007). Becoming a life coach. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

Exercise 4: Brainstorming Solutions