SMART and transactional analysis: checking your goal

Ten video lessons are already scheduled before the end of the month. In the evening, the file opens, but another cover redesign takes the place of the first recording. The subject is interesting and the course matters, yet the camera remains untouched. A well-worded goal does not yet explain what is getting in the way of the next action.

SMART helps clarify a result. Transactional analysis offers another perspective: what demands we place on ourselves, what we want and how much attention we give current possibilities. The following self-check uses this model without claiming that combining two approaches automatically ensures success.

AI-generated illustration. A fictional scene of planning a personal project.

A common contemporary version checks whether a goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. For example: “By Friday, I will prepare the script for a ten-minute first lesson.” We know what should exist and when to check it. We still need to establish whether the time, materials and person approving the content are available.

In George Doran’s original 1981 article, A and R stood for assignable and realistic. Later versions differ. Agreeing on what the checks mean is more useful than treating one version of the acronym as a magic formula.

Parent, Adult and Child in TA name ego states: whole systems of thoughts, feelings and behaviour. For goal planning, we can examine learned demands and care, present conditions, personal wishes and habitual reactions. These questions are a practical approximation to the model. Adult need not be imagined as a computer without feelings, or Child as the only source of motivation.

The first question is: “Which rule am I following?” The demand “It must be perfect immediately” differs from the caring consideration “I need recovery time after work.” Both affect the plan. Name what each requires and what it costs.

Second: “What do I know about the conditions?” Check time, money, knowledge, support and dependence on someone else’s reply. Third: “What do I want from this task?” It might be interest, income, contributing to a shared project or completing an important obligation. Enjoying every step is not a requirement for a worthwhile goal.

Consider a particular mechanism: recording the lesson becomes a test of personal worth. “If it is mediocre, everyone will see that I am incapable.” Shame and anxiety follow; the person turns to the safer task of redesigning the cover. Tension briefly eases, while the lesson remains unrecorded. As the deadline approaches, self-blame strengthens the same threat.

The sequence is visible without searching for hidden laziness: task → judgement of self → tension → avoidance → brief relief → less time remaining. A next step is a two-minute test recording to check sound, without publishing it. That provides actual material for a decision. If time or information is missing, the conditions need revising. The article on shame and self-attack explores self-judgement further.

Instead of promising ten lessons in two evenings, start with one pilot. Tuesday is for the script, Thursday for a trial recording and Friday for checking sound and duration. Then review the time used and agree on the remaining work. Readiness means a clear topic, an audible voice and material to review, rather than a target number of future likes.

If the course needs a colleague’s feedback, agree on the particular question and a reply date. Another person’s involvement requires an agreement. The article on deadlines without self-intimidation helps discuss scope, dependencies and a change of date before a deadline is missed.

“I will run every day from Monday” can become a week of observation: two manageable walks at agreed times. Briefly note tiredness, tension and mood before and afterwards. Then decide whether the duration and format fit. Movement belongs in caring for health alongside sleep and psychological wellbeing; it need not become punishment for missing a session. The article on training once a week offers a planning example.

In an ordinary notebook or the online diary, write the goal, rule, wish, available resources and one next action. Add a condition for reviewing the plan: “If the materials have not arrived by Wednesday, I will agree a different date.” The EQ Emotion Journal can be used to observe feelings around the task. Writing makes the statements visible; it does not itself guarantee a change in behaviour.

Metaphorical cards such as Dreams can be included if images help you find your own words and associations. A chosen card does not establish your true wishes for you. Finish with a decision you can check: what you will do, when and with what support. Continue with Why SMART Is Not Enough; recurring rules can also be explored through 15 practical life-script orientations.

George T. Doran, There’s a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives (1981); ITAA, Key Concepts in Transactional Analysis.