Develping Your Goals: Be SMART.

Each of your goals should meet the following criteria. They should be:

Specific:

The goal expains exactly what you want to do.

Example: "To decrease stop-arm violations while children are loading and unloading from a school bus."

Measurable:

The goal should contain a percentage or number you want to reach or accomplish. In the way you can determine if you reached the goal.

Example: "To decrease stop-arm violations by 50% while children are loading and unloading from a school bus."

Attainable:

The goal should be achievable. To decrease stop-arm violations by 100% would not be an achievable goal, no matter how desirable.

Realistic:

The goal should not be too easy or too hard. It is reasonable to think that you can decrease stop-arm violations while children are loading and unloading. It would not be reasonable to set a goal of never having a motorist pass a stopped school bus again, no matter how desirable.

Time bound:

The goal should have a deadline. Example: "To decrease stop-arm violations while children are loading and unloading from a school bus by 50% by (a specific date)." Remember the criteria of "attainable" and "realistic" when setting this deadline. Twelve months might be reasonable; four weeks is not.