Your first step in any goal-setting framework must be to decide what it is you hope to achieve. Try not to be to general and make sure that you are making the goal for yourself, not to impress someone else.  Whether your goal is long-term or short term, most people start out with only a general idea of what they want. You move from the general to the specific by adding details and defining your terms.  For example, maybe your initial goal is be healthier. Knowing that will be your basis for creating a more specific goal. "Specific" is the "S" in SMART.  You have a much greater chance of accomplishing a specific goal  than a general goal. So, your task at this stage is to translate your thoughts from step one into something more precise.  Following the example in the previous step, you would ask yourself what "healthier" means to you? What in your life needs to be better? The goal has to be concrete and clear. Including numbers such as "I will go to the gym twice a week", can help. Nebulous and fluffy goals like "feel better" or "look better" are not easy to determine progress. Pick a goal that will be measurable. Examples:  Lose or gain (x) amount of weight. Be able to run a 5K Cut sodium intake in my diet A good way to make certain your goal is specific enough is to answer the 5 "W" questions: Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Start by asking who is involved.  Typically goals will center around you. But, some goals will require you to work with or for others. Example: Losing weight will naturally be you, but you may realize you need help of a nutritionist, a walking partner, and the support of your spouse to see it through. This is the basic question of what goal you hope to achieve. It needs to be a concrete, specific goal that can be measured.   If you want to lose weight be specific! How much weight do you hope to lose? What is the smart amount? This means figuring out what is a healthy goal weight for you. Self-improvement goals like "gain confidence" is too fuzzy and broad, but something like, "Give the keynote speech at the conference", "ask out Chris to dinner", or "ride a subway" are all specific things that when accomplished will demonstrate self-confidence. Identify a location in which you will do the work of striving for your goal.  If you want to lose weight, you could exercise at work (going for a walk during lunch hour), at home (doing a home body weight workout or using weights), and at a gym. 'Where' can be physical or virtual such as on-line. For instance, it does not matter if you find a date by meeting prospective matches by first meeting them on-line or in real life. Establish a realistic time frame or deadline for achieving your goal. This will come more sharply into focus later in the process of goal setting. For now, just think about the big picture. Goals can always be extended if needed, but having a timeframe avoids having fuzzy and vague plans to do things.   If your goal is to lose 20 pounds, you might be able to achieve that in a few months. On the other hand, if your goal is to get a degree in physics, a reasonable time frame for that might be a few years. In the example of achieving fitness, this may mean a reasonable time frame to lose weight, but also mean figuring out when you work out during the day, and considering how often. In other words, what will you need to do to achieve your goal? What obstacles will you face?  If your goal is to lose weight, the requirements might be exercise and a healthy diet. The obstacles might include your own aversion to exercise. Recognize this, and consider how and why do you want to overcome that? Other obstacles: You may not have money for a gym, or a bad knee, or it is not a great neighborhood to walk outside at night. Consider how can these be worked around? Jot down the specific reasons and benefits of accomplishing this goal. Understanding the "why" can be crucial to knowing if the goal you've set will actually meet your needs.  For example, imagine your goal is to lose 50 pounds. You hope to have more friends that way because you will feel better about yourself. But getting more friends has no direct correlation with weight loss. In that case, work on trying to be more outgoing, rather than on your appearance. But if losing 50 pounds will greatly benefit your health, and you know why, write the reasons down.
قرر ما الذي تريده. كن محددًا. حدد الأشخاص الآخرين المشتركين في التأثير على هذا الهدف. اسأل نفسك ما الذي ترغب في تحقيقه. حدد "أين" سوف يتم العمل على هذا الهدف. فكر في الوقت الذي سوف تعمل فيه على تحقيق هدفك. قم بتحديد المتطلبات والقيود المفروضة عليك في سبيل سعيك لتحقيق الهدف. تأمل الأسباب التي تدفعك لوضع هذا الهدف.