How to define effective and aligned goals using the SMART method

Dernière mise à jour de l'article le 17 September 2025

In this article, I’d like to introduce you to the SMART method, adapted to the world of personal development, to help you define aligned and effective goals.
As a bonus, I’ll share with you 3 questions that I use in my coaching to identify any blocks or fears that may be preventing you from achieving these goals.

But what’s the point of defining life goals?

Did you know that Dr Gail Matthews, a professor of psychology at Dominican University, has conducted a study into the achievement of goals in order to understand what factors help people to achieve them?
149 people took part in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to one of 5 groups:

• Group 1: Objectives were not written down
• Group 2: Objectives were written down
• Group 3: The objectives were written down and the participants undertook to carry out actions to achieve this objective.
• Group 4: The objectives were written down and the participants undertook to carry out actions to achieve this objective with a friend.
• Group 5: The objectives were written down and the participants undertook to carry out actions to achieve this objective with a friend and to send a progress report on these actions to the same friend.

Group 1 participants were asked to think about their goals (what they wanted to achieve over the next 4 weeks) and were then asked to evaluate this goal.

Participants in groups 2 to 5 were asked to write down their goals and then to rate their goals on the same dimensions.

Group 3 was also asked to formulate action commitments.

Group 4 was asked to formulate action commitments and to send their goals and action commitments to a friend.

Group 5 was asked to formulate action commitments and send their goals, action commitments and weekly progress reports to a supportive friend. Participants in this group also received weekly reminders to send a quick progress email to their friend.

So what’s the bottom line?

At the end of the 4 weeks, the participants assessed their progress in achieving their objectives.

It goes without saying that group 5 achieved the most significant results (otherwise, I won’t tell you about it…). Group 4 obtained better results than groups 3 and 1 and group 2 obtained better results than group 1.
To read the full study, click here: Read the study by Dr Gail Matthews.

What you need to know about this study:

• The importance ofwriting down our goals on paper to increase our chances of achieving them (+42%)
• If we decide to make a commitment to a friend by explaining our objective, we increase our chances of achieving these objectives by 50%.
• If we regularly share our progress towards this goal with this same friend, this percentage would increase to 77%.

And why does it work? Because human beings are social beings and, strangely enough, it’s harder for us to keep a commitment to ourselves than to others.

That’s right! It’s easier to lie to ourselves with excuses about why we haven’t managed to carry out the actions we committed ourselves to doing. When we make a commitment to someone, it’s harder to renege on what we committed to that friend.

What’s more, writing down our goals is already the first step. As Abraham Lincoln put it so well:

A well-defined objective is half achieved

Writing down your objectives helps you to stay focused on what you want to achieve. And by using the SMART method, you’ll have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with this objective.

Use the SMART method to define your objectives clearly

To help you define your objectives as effectively as possible, I suggest you use a method for defining objectives: the SMART method.
An effective objective is one that is well defined from the outset. Using the SMART method to frame your objective will enable you to take stock of several essential elements in the definition of this objective. To achieve this, I suggest you think about what you want to achieve in the next 12 months and answer the following questions:

• Specific: Formulate your objective clearly, concretely and precisely. The more specific you are, the easier it will be to achieve your goal. Question: What exactly do I want to achieve with this objective?

• Measurable: An indicator can only exist if it can be measured. By regularly measuring our progress, we can check where we are in relation to our objective and readjust our actions if necessary. By defining the success criteria for your objective, you will know when you have achieved your goal. Question: More specifically, how will I know when I’ve achieved your objective?

• Ambitious: Setting yourself a sufficiently ambitious goal can be a great source of motivation and inspire you to give it your best shot. Don’t forget that your goal shouldn’t be boring, otherwise you’ll fall into procrastination. Question: Is my goal ambitious enough for me?

• Realistic: A goal should not be unattainable either. If the goal is considered impossible to achieve, you won’t do it. Question: Is my goal realistic enough for me?

• defined in time: A goal without a deadline is just a dream. To ensure that your goal becomes a reality over time, you need to define a deadline for achieving it. Question: When would I like my goal to be achieved?

At this stage, you have worked on your objective so that it is well-defined and effective. Answering these questions is already a good thing, but we also need to make sure that this objective is in line with our convictions and values.

I suggest you consider the following questions:

• Ecological: A goal that has nothing at stake won’t last long at the first hurdle. It’s important to link your objective to a value that’s important to you. Question: Why is this objective important to me?

• Under our Control: It’s important to clearly define a goal that depends solely on our actions. We cannot control the actions of others; only our own. Question: What is under my control in this objective?

• Commitment: Only a strong commitment to advancing an objective will enable us to continue in the long term. It is important to identify the factors that led us to define this objective. Question: What will be the long-term benefits of achieving this objective?

And there you have it! Now you know everything you need to know to set effective goals that are in line with your values.

3 questions to help you identify your blocks and fears

As a bonus, I’d like to share with you 3 questions you can ask yourself to help you identify what’s blocking you from achieving your goals.

It’s important to express your blocks and fears so that you can work on them.
For each objective you have identified, give yourself 15 minutes to think about these questions:

• What is stopping me from achieving this goal today?
• What do I need to achieve this goal?
• What would happen if I didn’t achieve this goal?

Remember that taking the time to define your goals clearly is already half the battle. Subconsciously, your brain begins to identify possible courses of action to meet this objective.

What’s more, if you’ve identified how you’re going to measure progress towards this objective, you’ll be able to stay on course and see the first results!

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