How it works

Type your goal the way you'd say it out loud, like "answer tickets faster" or "get better at presenting".
Say whose goal it is and add the starting number, the deadline and any resources you know. Click Write my SMART goal.
Get the goal, a line for each SMART letter, three milestones and one number to track weekly. Fill in any [brackets] and put the weekly number somewhere you'll see it.

Examples

Sample results for the inputs shown, so you can see the format and quality before you try it.

Example 1: input

Your rough goal: Get our support team to answer tickets faster

Whose goal is it? Team goal

Starting point, deadline and resources: Median first response time is 9 hours right now. Team of 6. Want it fixed by March 31.

Example 1: output

SMART goal: Cut median first response time on support tickets from 9 hours to 4 hours (suggested) by March 31. Specific: The team replies to every new ticket faster, measured from ticket creation to first human reply. Measurable: Median first response time from your help desk's reporting, checked weekly. Achievable: A 4-hour target means covering the gaps where tickets sit longest; check which hours those are before committing to it. Relevant: Slow first replies are the problem you named, and the whole team of 6 can see this number. Time-bound: Due March 31, reviewed in the weekly team meeting. Milestones: 1. Week 2: find the hours and ticket types with the longest waits 2. Week 6: median at 6 hours or lower 3. March 31: median at 4 hours or lower Track weekly: share of new tickets that get a first reply within 4 hours.

Example 2: input

Your rough goal: Get better at public speaking

Whose goal is it? Career development goal

Starting point, deadline and resources: I freeze up presenting to leadership. Have a quarterly business review to present in 3 months.

Example 2: output

SMART goal: Give 6 practice presentations to peers and present the quarterly business review to leadership in 3 months, using notes but not reading from a script. Specific: Practice presenting out loud to real people before the one talk that matters most, the quarterly review. Measurable: Number of practice talks given, plus whether you present the review from notes rather than a script. Achievable: Six practice talks in 12 weeks is one every two weeks, alongside normal work. Relevant: You freeze when presenting to leadership, and the quarterly review is exactly that audience. Time-bound: Done by the quarterly review, 3 months from now. Milestones: 1. Week 2: first practice talk, 10 minutes, to two colleagues 2. Week 6: three practice talks done; ask for one piece of feedback after each 3. Week 11: full dry run of the review deck with your manager Track weekly: minutes spent practicing out loud (not just editing slides). To finish this goal: The exact review date: put it in your calendar and count the milestones back from it.

Example 3: input

Your rough goal: Priya needs to document her work better

Whose goal is it? Goal for someone I manage

Starting point, deadline and resources: She's a backend engineer. Her last 3 features shipped with no docs and others had to ask her how they work.

Example 3: output

SMART goal: Ship every new backend feature with a short design note and a runbook entry, starting with the next feature, for the next [number] features or this quarter. Specific: Each feature gets a design note (what it does and why) and a runbook entry (how to operate and debug it). Measurable: Share of Priya's shipped features with both documents, reviewed at each 1:1. Achievable: A one-page note per feature is small if it's written during the work, not after. Relevant: Her last 3 features shipped without docs, and teammates had to ask her how they work. Time-bound: Starts with the next feature; reviewed at the end of the quarter. Milestones: 1. Next feature: design note and runbook entry agreed together, as a template 2. Mid-quarter: every feature shipped since the start has both documents 3. End of quarter: a teammate handles one of her features using only the docs Track weekly: open pull requests that include or link the doc. To finish this goal: [number]: choose the number of features or keep it to this quarter, and agree on it with Priya so she owns the goal.

Tips for better results

Give it your starting number. "Median response is 9 hours" turns a vague goal into one you can measure; without it you'll get a [current number] to fill in.
Pick one metric. A goal with three metrics usually gets judged on whichever one looks best at review time.
Track a weekly number you control. The final result arrives too late to change course; practice talks given or tickets answered within 4 hours show progress every week.
Write goals for your reports with them, not for them. Use the output as a draft to discuss in your next 1:1.

FAQ

Is this SMART goals generator free?

Yes. Enter your email once to use it (you'll also get Something Big, our free weekly AI newsletter, and you can unsubscribe anytime). There's no account and no credit card.

What does SMART stand for?

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. A SMART goal says exactly what will change, how you'll measure it, why it's realistic and why it matters, and by when.

Can I use it for performance reviews and team goals?

Yes. Choose Team goal or Goal for someone I manage. It writes goals the owner can see progress on every week, which makes review conversations shorter and fairer.

Will it make up targets or benchmarks?

No. It uses the numbers you give. If you give a starting point but no target, it suggests one and labels it (suggested). If you give neither, it leaves [placeholders] and tells you how to find the numbers.

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