SMART goals template: free printable worksheet and examples

The short answer: a smart goals template turns a vague wish into a clear plan with a number and a deadline.

• Free 3-page PDF
• Test your goal against each letter: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound
• Break it into steps and track progress month by month
• Works for money, health, home, school and work goals
• Next step: Get the free SMART goals template (we email it to you); want more? The Sinking Funds Tracker is $4.99.

A SMART goals template turns a wish like "get my money together" into a clear plan with a number and a deadline. Download the free 3-page SMART goals template below: write your goal, test it against each letter, break it into steps, and track your progress month by month. It works for money, health, home, school and work goals. Not sure which goals to pick yet? Our goal setting guide helps you choose one to three before you fill in the worksheet.

What SMART stands for

SMART goals are a simple test for whether a goal is clear enough to act on. Lake Superior State University's SMART goals worksheet frames each letter as a question:

Stanford Medicine's guide to how to write SMART goals adds that a specific goal answers the "W" questions (who, what, when, where, which and why), and that measurable goals can use milestones: a series of steps that add up to the main goal.

How to use the SMART goals template

The template has three pages, and each builds on the last.

Page 1: the SMART worksheet

1. Write your goal as a first draft, in plain words.
2. Answer the question for each letter in the grid.
3. Rewrite the goal as one sentence that includes your answers. That is your final SMART goal.

Page 2: the action plan

1. Write the goal and finish date at the top.
2. List the action steps, the time each needs and a target date. Check them off as you go.
3. List obstacles that might come up and how you will respond.
4. Note the tools and support you need: an app, a planner, a person to check in with.

This matches the structure of the LSSU worksheet, which includes steps with time estimates, obstacles and responses, and helpful tools and resources.

Page 3: the goal tracker

List goals by timeframe: short-term (under 3 months), intermediate (3 to 12 months) and long-term (a year or more), with any cost, start and target dates, and priority. Then use the monthly check-in rows to record progress and whether you need to adjust.

SMART goal examples

Here is how a vague goal becomes a SMART one:

Notice the pattern: a number, a method and a date. The second example works because the math checks out: $200 a month for 12 months is $2,400 (before any interest).

SMART goals vs. regular goals

A regular goal names a direction. A SMART goal names a destination, a route and an arrival time.

The SMART version is not more ambitious. It is just clearer, which makes it far easier to act on and to notice when you are drifting.

SMART goal ideas by life area

Not sure where to start? Pick one area and use one of these as your first draft on page 1 of the template:

Money

• Build a starter emergency fund of $1,000 in six months.
• Save a set amount for the holidays by November.
• Pay off one credit card using the snowball or avalanche method.
• Track every expense for 30 days to see where your money goes.

Home

• Declutter one closet a week for the next month.
• Set up a weekly cleaning routine and follow it for 8 weeks.
• Create a home maintenance schedule before the season changes.

Health and wellbeing

• Walk 8,000 steps on five days a week for the next two months.
• Cook dinner at home five nights a week for the next month.
• Go to bed by 10:30 on weeknights for 30 days.

Work and learning

• Finish an online course by the end of the quarter.
• Update your resume and apply for three roles this month.
• Read one professional book each month this year.

How to stay on track with your SMART goal

Writing the goal is the easy part. A few habits help you follow through:

A free habit tracker printable turns the daily action into a box you can check, which makes streaks easy to see.

1. Put the goal where you will see it. Tape page 1 inside a cabinet door or use it as the first page of your planner.
2. Schedule the first step today. The smallest step on your action plan should happen within 48 hours. For more on this topic, see our productivity guides.
3. Use milestones. Stanford Medicine's guide suggests milestones for longer goals: smaller steps that add up to the main goal. Celebrate each one.
4. Find a check-in partner. Share your goal with someone who will ask how it is going.
5. Adjust instead of quitting. If a month goes badly, use the "Adjust?" column on page 3 to change the plan, not abandon it.

SMART financial goals

Money goals are some of the easiest to make SMART because they are measurable by nature. A few tips:

• Do the math first. Divide the total by the number of months to see the monthly amount. If it does not fit your budget, adjust the amount or the date. That is the Achievable test.
• Automate the step. An automatic transfer on payday turns "I will save" into something that happens without willpower.
• Track it where you budget. A goal you see every month is a goal you keep.
• Separate goals by purpose. A holiday fund and an emergency fund are different goals with different dates.

Our guide on how to set financial goals covers choosing and ranking money goals, and our savings goal tracker is a simple way to color in your progress.

Tools that do the math for you

• The Sinking Funds Tracker ($4.99) is an Excel and Google Sheets spreadsheet for up to 20 savings goals. It calculates the monthly amount needed to hit each date, with progress bars, a deposit and withdrawal log, and a savings dashboard with a chart.
• The Budget Planner Printable ($5.99) is 12 pages, in Letter and A4, that start with money goals for the year and include a monthly budget, income tracker, expense log, bill payments, debt payoff tracker, savings tracker, sinking funds and an annual summary.
• The Ultimate Budget Bundle ($19.99, $46.42 if bought separately) includes 8 products: 6 spreadsheets plus the Budget Planner Printable and Bill Tracker Printable.

Common SMART goal mistakes

• Too vague. "Be healthier" has no measure. Pick one behavior you can count.
• Too many goals at once. Choose one to three active goals and park the rest on the tracker page.
• No deadline. Without a date, a goal slides. Even a rough date beats none.
• Unrealistic numbers. If the monthly amount or weekly hours do not fit your life, shrink the goal or extend the date.
• No plan for obstacles. Write down what might get in the way now, while you are motivated, and how you will respond.
• Never checking in. Set a monthly reminder to fill in the check-in row.

SMART goals for the new year

January is a natural time to set goals, but SMART goals work any month. If you are planning for the year ahead, pair this template with our guide to making a budget for the new year and write one SMART money goal for each quarter. Short-term wins in the first three months keep the momentum going for longer goals.

For more ideas, our list of new year's resolutions covers money, health, home and family goals, with tips for sticking to them.

Looking for goals you can finish this year? See our short term goals examples, grouped by area of life.