What is SMART Goals Worksheet?
Goal-setting is essential to cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), providing direction, motivation, and a sense of purpose throughout the therapeutic process. The SMART approach is a widely-used framework for setting effective goals in CBT. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This worksheet walks clients through each criterion, helping them move from abstract wishes to concrete, actionable targets. The structure breaks down what each element means and asks clients to define their goal across all five dimensions, ensuring clarity and measurability from the start.
How therapists use it
Introduce the worksheet during a session focused on goal clarification or treatment planning. Walk through the SMART framework together, or assign it as between-session work for clients to draft their own goals. Review what they complete in the next session, refining vague language into specific, measurable steps. Many clients, if asked about their goals, will offer abstract answers like "feeling better" or "improving mood," and clinicians may find themselves having to guide the process of creating more specific aims. This worksheet structures that guidance.
Who it's for
This worksheet suits clients across depression, anxiety disorders, phobias, PTSD, OCD, eating disorders, substance use, and sleep problems—any condition where clear behavioral targets strengthen treatment focus. The setting of specific, concrete, and realistic goals is an important component of SFBT. Goals are formulated and amplified through SF conversation about what clients want different in the future. Consequently, in SFBT, clients set the goals. It works well for clients who benefit from structure and concrete milestones. It is less suited to clients in acute crisis or early stabilization phases, where immediate safety and symptom management take priority over goal refinement.
What clients see
The client reads the SMART framework definition and fills in one goal across five fields: what they want to achieve (Specific), how they will measure it (Measurable), whether it is realistic (Achievable), why it matters (Relevant), and when they will work toward it (Time-Bound).
Page 1
Use this worksheet to define your goals according to the SMART framework. SMART stands for Specific , Measurable , Achievable , Relevant , and Time-Bound . It’s a simple way to create clear goals that keep you focused, motivated, and aligne…
Modality fit
Goals are the foundation of CBT, guiding the therapeutic process and determining the specific interventions and techniques. It is important to establish clear and well-defined goals that help clients and therapists maintain focus and maximize their time together in therapy. SMART goals operationalize this principle by translating broad concerns into measurable behavioral targets that CBT can address through thought records, behavioral experiments, and skill practice.
MI encourages individuals to work through their ambivalence about behavior change and to explore discrepancy between their current behavior and broader life goals and values. SMART goals clarify that discrepancy and anchor the planning phase, helping clients move from exploring why they want to change to defining how they will do it.
A hallmark of SFBT is its emphasis on clear, concise, realistic goal negotiations. By combining Future-Oriented Goals and SMART Goals, Solution-Focused Therapy equips clients with a powerful goal-setting approach that fosters motivation, clarity, and progress. Clients are encouraged to envision a future where their desired outcomes are realized, setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals to facilitate their journey towards positive change.
Common questions
When should I use this worksheet in treatment?
Use it early in treatment during goal-setting or treatment planning, or whenever a client's goals feel vague. It works best after you've identified the target problem but before you've chosen specific interventions. Revisit it if goals shift or need refinement.
What if a client's goal is too broad or unrealistic?
The worksheet itself prompts this reflection. If they write "feel better," the Specific field asks them to name what that looks like. If they write something unachievable, the Achievable field invites them to scale it down. Use their answers to guide the conversation.
Can I use this with clients in crisis?
Not as a primary tool. Clients in acute crisis need safety planning and symptom stabilization first. Once immediate risk is managed and they are ready to think beyond crisis, this worksheet helps them define what recovery looks like.
How does this fit with Motivational Interviewing?
A key challenge for MI practitioners is deciding when and how to transition from building motivation to the goal setting and planning phases of counseling. A three-phase model provides a framework for moving from WHY to HOW; from building motivation to more action oriented counseling. This worksheet is the HOW phase.
Should I assign this as homework or do it in session?
Either works. In-session completion lets you guide the process and catch vague language immediately. Between-session work gives clients time to reflect and arrive with a draft you can refine together. Choose based on the client's capacity and your session structure.