What did you achieve last year? Can you think of anything specific? It’s easy to move through life, but if you want to achieve something difficult, it’s important to make achievable goals. If they’re too difficult, you might not meet them, and you won’t feel motivated. One way to set achievable objectives is to set SMART goals.
What are SMART goals?
SMART goals are a tool to help you set achievable goals and stay motivated. There are five sections – S, M, A, R, T – that help you focus on what you really want and how to achieve it.
Let’s imagine you want to achieve a B2 level in the Oxford Test of English next year. How can you make goals to achieve this?
Have a look at these SMART goals and examples.
Specific
Set numbers and deadlines. This helps you to stay motivated because you have a number or date to meet. Make them simple and significant, so it’s more likely you’ll achieve them.
Examples of this for your test might be:
- I find writing in English difficult, so I aim to achieve a score of 110 in practice tests.
- I find speaking easier, so I aim to achieve a score of 130 in practice tests.
- I aim to get an overall score of 112 in practice tests by September.
Measurable
Make goals that you can measure. If you meet them, you’ll feel motivated to continue to the next step. Some examples are:
- I aim to complete one complete practice test every month.
- I aim to read two short stories in English every week.
- I aim to listen to a podcast in English for ten minutes every day.
Achievable
If you make goals that you can’t achieve, you’ll stop trying. Goals need to be difficult, but possible. Make small goals that build on each other towards a bigger, main goal.
For example:
- I will learn five new words every week (instead of 50 new words every week, which probably isn’t possible).
- I will write one text every week using five new words and my notes.
- I will complete one practice writing test every week without my notes.
Relevant
Ask yourself why you want to reach the goals you’re setting, and why they are important to you at this moment in time. Your goals need to be reasonable and realistic so that you want to achieve them and are able to.
Relevant goals for the Oxford Test of English could be:
- I want to teach English, so I need a B2 level of English.
- I would love to travel with work. I need to have a B2 level of English for this.
- I want to study at a university in an English-speaking country, so I need a B2 level.
Time
There is no goal without a time limit. This helps motivate you in the days, weeks or months that lead up to the finish date. If you continue trying to reach a goal for a very long time, you’ll become tired and unmotivated.
Make small time goals that help you reach that final test:
- I aim to achieve a score of 90 in practice tests by May.
- I aim to achieve a score of 115 in practice tests by October.
- I aim to book my test for November.
Use the SMART goals template below to write your own SMART goals. It’s a good idea to write them down and leave them for a few days. Then, have a look at them again to check if you still think they’re relevant and achievable for you.
Do you have any goals for next year? Share your SMART goals in the comments below.
Billie Jago is an ELT writer and teacher trainer, specialising in digital & assessments. She is the founder of the professional development podcast ELTcpd and co-founder of the digital ELT content agency, otterelt.
I want to learn 5 new words every day and I want to improve my listening comprehension
i want to learn five new words every day and i want to learn improve my reading.
I want to improve my speaking and pronunciation skills. I want to speak more clearly and confidently, which will help me communicate better with others. I want to improve my pronunciation so that people can understand me more easily, and I want to feel less nervous when talking to others. I believe that if I focus on these areas, I will be able to speak more fluently.
To achieve this, I will practice speaking for about 20 minutes each day using listening exercises and recordings of native speakers. I will pay special attention to pronouncing words correctly and clearly, and I will practice imitating the sounds.
I also want to learn five new words each week and use them in sentences to improve my vocabulary and pronunciation. In addition, I plan to participate in a conversation practice session each week to gain confidence.
My goal is to feel less nervous when speaking and to see a clear improvement in my pronunciation and fluency within three months.
Hello!
Well, I want to improve my English skills, so I will do my own goals.
I will practice every day using an app called Duolingo to improve my reading, pronunciation, and listening. I hope to learn at least 5 words a day. I’ll follow watching movies and series in English to improve my skills.
I’ll try to write more often to improve my writing and to find the way to enhance my vocabulary and put my thoughts in words.
I’ll take a test every month on internet to know how much I’ve improved from now on.
I hope to meet all goals.