SMART Goal Planner

Client has a goal they describe in aspirational terms — a position they want to hold, a state they want to reach, a capability they want to develop. The description is recognizable and energizing. When asked what specifically would constitute achieving it, the answer softens: 'I'll know it when I see it,' 'I want to feel more confident,' 'I want to be recognized for my work.' The goal exists at a level of abstraction that makes it possible to believe you are working toward it without being able to verify that you are. The SMART fill-in structure forces each criterion to be addressed explicitly, exposing which letters have real content and which are empty.

Frame the worksheet as a specificity test, not a planning form. 'The goal you've described is real and worth pursuing. W...