Define and describe the acronym SMART

SMART is a helpful acronym to keep in mind when writing measurable objectives. "Specific," "measurable," "action," "relevant," and "time" are the keys words to remember with SMART objectives. Specific objectives use concrete words to describe who and what is the target. Measurable objectives are quantifiable, meaning the target can be counted. Action describes the verb that will be completed. Something happens to create change -- people attend, prompt others, comply, quit, or report. Action describes the planned something. "A" is also occasionally described as "achievable." However, "action" is the preferred term, with the reasoning that all objectives require some type of action. Realistic objectives are reachable. They should represent the next step in the process of change. Time refers to the time frame during which the objective will be accomplished. Time frames can be any block of time: a day, a week a month, or a year.?