Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals in 2025

Written by: Tressa Huizinga, Pre-Health Peer Advisor

As a pre-health student you likely have a very demanding schedule that is filled with classes, volunteering, shadowing, and possibly even a job. This can often feel overwhelming and leaves you wondering where you should start to achieve your goals.

Setting SMART goals can help you provide structure to achieve them! SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. By using this strategy and breaking down your goals into focused objections you can maintain the momentum needed to achieve them!

Let’s dive into how to use SMART goals to stay organized and motivated in 2025!

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1. Specific: Define Your Goal Clearly

The first step when setting goals is to ensure that your objective is clear. Specific goals provide you with a clear direction and purpose.

When setting your goal ask yourself these questions:

• What do I want to accomplish?
• Why is this goal important?

For example, "I want to go to more office hours next semester, so that I can make connections with professors as well as improve my grades.” In this example your overall goal is to go to office hours more, but you made it more specific by adding that you want to do this so that you can form connections as well as improve your grades.

2. Measurable: Track Your Progress

Your goal needs to be measurable so that you can make sure you are heading in the right direction.

To make your goal measurable, ask yourself:

• How will I know when I have achieved my goal?
• How will I know I am making progress?

If your goal is to go to more office hours, you can make it measurable by saying “I will go to office hours at least once a week for the entire semester and make a strong enough connection that I feel confident the professor can write me a positive letter of recommendation for medical school applications”.

3. Achievable: Set Realistic and Attainable Goals

It is important that your goal is realistic given the time and resources you have. Setting goals that are out of reach can cause frustration especially when you are juggling many different tasks and responsibilities.

Ask yourself:

• Is my goal reachable?
• Do I have the skills and ability to complete it?

Trying to go to office hours for all your classes every week can be very demanding and hard to work into your schedule of going to class, studying, volunteering, etc. Instead setting the goal of going to at least one office hour a week is much more obtainable, and you are more likely to stick to it!

4. Relevant: Align Your Goals with Your Long-Term Aspirations

When setting your goals whether it be about gaining more experiences to put onto your application or going to more office hours it is important that the goals you set align with your long-term goals.

Ask yourself:

• How does this goal support my long-term aspirations?
• Why is achieving this goal meaningful to me?

By going to office hours every week and making connections with professors you are not only possibly getting a great letter of recommendation from them you are also practicing interpersonal skills that are crucial for all health professionals to have!

5. Time-bound: Set a Deadline for Your Goal

Having a timeline as well as a deadline will ensure that you stay on track and stay motivated!

Ask yourself:

• Is the timeline clearly defined?
• What is the timeline for completing this goal?

To make your goal time-bound you might say “I will ask the professor at the beginning of the semester if they would be willing to write a letter of recommendation but continue to make a meaningful connection throughout the semester”. By having a deadline, you will know exactly when you need to have your tasks completed, or how to adjust if there are hiccups along the way.

Whether your goals are big or small, using the SMART goals strategy can provide you with the structure and motivation that you need to stay on track and make progress towards both your short and long-term goals for 2025 and beyond!