• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Engineering Management Institute

  • About
    • Meet Anthony Fasano, P.E.
    • EMI’s Mission, Vision & Values
    • Meet Team EMI
  • Content
    • Blog
    • Podcasts
      • The Engineering Career Coach Podcast
      • The Civil Engineering Podcast
        • Women in Civil Engineering
        • Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs
        • The Civil Engineering CEO Podcast
      • The Structural Engineering Channel
      • The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast
      • The Engineering Quality Control Podcast
      • The Engineering Project Management Podcast
      • AEC Engineering and Technology Podcast
      • This Week in Civil Engineering
    • TV
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Recommended Reading
    • Sponsors
  • Services
    • Training
    • Hiring Solutions
  • FE-PE Exams
  • Clients
  • Contact
  • Training

  • About
    • Meet Anthony Fasano, P.E.
    • EMI’s Mission, Vision & Values
    • Meet Team EMI
  • Content
    • Blog
    • Podcasts
      • The Engineering Career Coach Podcast
      • The Civil Engineering Podcast
        • Women in Civil Engineering
        • Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs
        • The Civil Engineering CEO Podcast
      • The Structural Engineering Channel
      • The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast
      • The Engineering Quality Control Podcast
      • The Engineering Project Management Podcast
      • AEC Engineering and Technology Podcast
      • This Week in Civil Engineering
    • TV
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Recommended Reading
    • Sponsors
  • Services
    • Training
    • Hiring Solutions
  • FE-PE Exams
  • Clients
  • Contact
  • Training

How To Write SMART Goals, Courtesy of a Moose

January 11, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

SMART GoalsSeveral years ago, we took a family vacation to Maine. Being a savvy professional, I set official goals for the trip. I wrote them down, of course. Goals aren’t real unless you write them down.

I shared my written goals with a peer group. I even wrote them down in the visitors’ registration book at a Maine information center.

“Goals for Maine trip: to get a green tourmaline ring and to see a moose.”

Before I tell you what happened, let’s look at how to set goals using the SMART method, a tried-and-true model for goal setting. And very fitting for this time of year.

SMART goals

Identify Your SMART Goals

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. You’ll see other words used in the acronym, but the message is the same. Set SMART goals.

SPECIFIC: You must be specific when you write SMART goals. It’s not just “I want to lose weight.” It’s “I want to lose weight on the Paleo diet.”

MEASURABLE: You must be able to quantify your goals. “I want to lose 40 pounds on the Paleo diet.”

ATTAINABLE: Your goal must be attainable. “I want to lose 40 pounds on the Paleo diet and by scaling tall buildings.” What do you need to learn to do in order to scale tall buildings? What’s your plan for learning that?

REALISTIC: Your goal must be realistic. “I want to lose 40 pounds on the Paleo diet so I can wear a size S.” If you’re a size XXL, that may be an unrealistic goal. Make sure your goal will test you but is not beyond what can be done.

TIMELY: Set time limits. This will give you a sense of urgency. It will help your unconscious align with your intention. “I want to lose 40 pounds on the Paleo diet by losing 5 pounds a month for eight months.”

Seems pretty simple once you’ve worked through the example. Right?

Let’s See What Happened in Maine

We worked our way up the Maine coast, where I found a green tourmaline ring that spoke to me. Goal met! Then we headed into Moosehead Lake, a very large lake in upstate Maine. We took a moose safari, a three-hour boat trip on the lake.

I was serious about this moose goal.

Everyone told us we would surely see a moose, because it was in the 90s and the animals would come down to the lake to cool off.

Obviously, the moose didn’t get the memo. They didn’t show.

The only moose we saw was one on the side of the road. It looked like a youngster taking a nap, but he was dead.

Technically, I met my goals. I got the ring, and I saw a moose.

However, had I used SMART goals, I would have declared my goal to be “see one moose, upright and breathing.” Not dead on the side of the road.

Be sure your SMART goals pass the moose test.

About the Author Pamela A. Scott

Pam is an executive coach to CEOs and business owners, focusing on communication, managing people, leadership, and emotional intelligence. Her tagline says it best: “Numbers may drive the business, but people drive the numbers.”®

Pam started her company more than 20 years ago. For much of that time, Pam has coached engineers and architects to be leaders in their companies.

She brings more than 25 years of communications expertise and leadership experience as

  • A national award-winning newspaper editor
  • A communications specialist writing for Congress
  • A successful entrepreneur specializing in coaching clients to reach their full potential

Clients have ranged from solo practitioners to companies such as Turner Broadcasting System, Coca Cola, Federal Reserve Bank, and engineering firms such as Walter P. Moore. For 15 years, Pam was a member of Vistage, an international organization of CEOs.

Pam has a master’s in education and human development from George Washington University and a bachelor’s in communication from Bethany College. In Toastmasters, she has achieved Advanced Communicator Bronze and Advanced Leadership Bronze levels.

We would love to hear any questions you might have or stories you might share about setting SMART goals. 

Please leave your comments, feedback or questions in the section below.

  • If you enjoyed this post, please consider downloading our free list of 33 Productivity Routines of Top Engineering Executives. Click the button below to download.

    Download the Productivity Routines

To your success,

Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success

Related Posts

  • What Is Your Ultimate Career Goal?
  • Career Goals: How Important Are They?
  • Goal Setting: Think Big, Be Mindful
  • Can You Explain Your Engineering Career Goals While Standing On One Leg?
  • If You Set Lofty Goals, You Will Engineer Their Reality

Filed Under: Blog, Organization/Productivity/Time Management Tagged With: Attainable, goal setting, goal setting for engineers, Measurable, model for goal setting, Pamela A. Scott, quantify your goals, Realistic, Set SMART goals, SMART acronym, SMART method, Specific, Timely, Write SMART Goals, written goals

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

And Get Custom Content Delivered To You Weekly

PM Training

engineering management lessons

career readiness

Categories

  • AECT – AEC Engineering and Technology Podcast
  • Blog
    • Business Development
    • Business/Entrepreneurship
    • Career Goals and Challenges
    • Communication/Public Speaking
    • COVID19
    • Credentials
    • Enlightenment
    • Ethics & Integrity
    • Job Search/Salary/Relocation
    • Leadership/Management
    • Mentoring
    • Networking/Client Relations
    • News and Events
    • Organization/Productivity/Time Management
    • Personal Development and Professionalism
    • Program Management
    • Project Management
    • Travel
    • Work Life Balance
  • Civil Engineering
  • Engineering Career TV
  • Engineering Technology
  • TCEP-The Civil Engineering Podcast
    • Business Development
    • Business/Entrepreneurship
    • Career Goals and Challenges
    • Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs
    • Communication & Public Speaking
    • Credentials
    • Ethics/Integrity
    • Infrastructure
    • Job Search/Salary/Relocation
    • Leadership/Management
    • Mentoring
    • Project Management
    • Women in Engineering
  • TECC Podcast-The Engineering Career Coach Podcast
    • Business/Entrepreneurship
    • Career Game Changers
    • Career Goals and Challenges
    • Communication/Public Speaking
    • Credentials
    • Enlightenment
    • Job Search/Salary/Relocation
    • Leadership/Management
    • Mentoring
    • Networking/Client Relations
    • News and Events
    • Organization/Productivity/Time Management
    • Personal Development and Professionalism
    • Project Management
    • Work Life Balance
  • TEPM – The Engineering Project Management Podcast
  • TEQC – The Engineering Quality Control Podcast
  • TGEP – The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast
    • Tunneling Series
  • TSEC-The Structural Engineering Channel
  • TWiCE
  • Uncategorized
  • Women in Engineering

TECC Sidebar Featured Final

ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

We Can Help You:

  • Build solutions to attract talented professionals.
  • Develop your staff’s people skills.
  • Create career roadmaps for your staff.
  • Provide PM training for your professionals.
  • Build custom development programs.
  • Scale sustainably.

Location:

50 E. Ridgewood Avenue #129

Ridgewood NJ, 07450

800-920-4007

Copyright © 2023 • All Rights Reserved • Property of Engineering Management Institute • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy

SPECIAL DOWNLOAD

33 Productivity Routines of
Top Engineering Executives

x