A goal is far more likely to happen when it is clear, concrete and connected to what matters to you. This worksheet helps you shape a goal you care about into a SMART one - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound - then break it into first steps, plan for the obstacles, and decide how you will track progress. Best used alongside your therapy work, as something you and your therapist shape together.
Setting a SMART Goal
PreviewGoals stick better when they connect to something you genuinely care about. Before shaping the goal itself, take a moment to name what is underneath it.
What matters to you that this goal connects to?
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Why does working towards this feel important now?
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First, just say what you want, however roughly. We will sharpen it in the next step.
In your own words, what would you like to work towards?
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Now reshape the goal so it is clear enough to act on and to know when you have got there. Work through each part - it is fine to adjust the goal as you go.
Specific - what exactly will you do? (be concrete)
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Measurable - how will you know you have done it, or how will you track it?
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Achievable - is this realistic for you right now? What would make it doable?
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Relevant - how does this link to what matters to you (from the first section)?
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Time-bound - by when will you do it, or how often?
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Putting it together: my SMART goal in one sentence
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Even a SMART goal is easier to start when broken down. List the first concrete steps and when you will take each one. Keep the very first step small enough that you are confident you can do it.
My first steps
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Things rarely go perfectly, and that is normal. Thinking ahead about what might get in the way - and how you will respond - makes it much more likely you will keep going.
What might get in the way, and what I will do
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If I miss a step or have a setback, how will I get back on track (rather than give up)?
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Finally, check how confident you feel about starting, and decide when you will look back at how it is going. If your confidence is low, it is worth making that first step smaller, or talking it through with your therapist.
How confident do you feel about starting this goal?
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If your confidence is not high, what would help raise it?
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When and how will you review your progress?
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This is a read-only preview. Sign up to assign it and let clients complete it on any device.
‘Setting a SMART Goal’ is an interactive cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) worksheet. As a core CBT skill it is used right across the model, with presentations including depression, anxiety, OCD, trauma and low self-esteem, rather than being tied to a single diagnosis.
It is designed to be used within therapy rather than as a standalone self-help tool: a therapist introduces it, works through it collaboratively, and helps make sense of what it surfaces. You can preview the full worksheet above, then assign it digitally for clients to complete between sessions on any device — or download it as a print-ready PDF.
Most people work through it in around 15 minutes. It moves through six short steps:
Completed on the Formulate platform, your client's answers are saved automatically and shared straight back to you, so you can review them before the next session rather than waiting for a paper copy to come back.
In common with other CBT methods, ‘Setting a SMART Goal’ works by re-engaging with meaningful and rewarding activity (behavioural activation). The aim is not positive thinking but a clearer, shared understanding of what keeps a difficulty going — and practical, testable ways to change it.
Because it is a CBT tool it stays focused on the here-and-now links between thoughts, feelings, the body and behaviour, and it works best as one part of a wider course of therapy rather than as advice or a diagnosis.
This worksheet is grounded in established cognitive behavioural therapy theory and practice. Key sources include:
Formulate provides educational CBT resources for use with a qualified therapist. They are not a substitute for professional assessment, diagnosis, or crisis care.
If you need urgent help now:
Sign up free and send your client a link. They complete it on any device — you review their responses before the next session.
No credit card required. 10 free worksheets every month.