Are you ready to supercharge your goal-setting strategy? This article is a treasure trove of 150 dynamic action verbs designed to energize your ambition and ignite your motivation.
From ascending the career ladder to shedding pounds, these powerful action verbs will transform your goals from vague aspirations into compelling missions you’re eager to accomplish.
It will empower you to select action verbs that resonate with your objectives, making your goals feel tangibly within reach and injecting a dose of excitement into your planning process.
Whether you’re a veteran goal-setter or a novice just embarking on your journey, strap yourself in. It’s finally time to turn those dreams into actionable, SMART realities.
What Are Action Verbs?
Action verbs, as their name suggests, depict action. They are words that express physical or mental activity. In goal setting, these verbs are likely to convey goal-oriented actions effectively.
These elements are crucial for establishing SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-based) goals as they clearly define your objectives and outline the precise steps you intend to take to accomplish them.
For example, instead of vaguely stating, “I want to improve my health,” a SMART goal would utilize an action verb to specify the goal: “I will jog for 30 minutes every morning.”
Here, “jog” is the action verb that clearly outlines the action needed to achieve the target. Using powerful action verbs can make your goals more compelling and motivate you to reach them.
The Importance of Action Verbs in SMART Goals
Action verbs are the secret tools that give our dreams wheels. Consider the previous example: “I want to be healthier.” It’s a wish, a desire, but it lacks the specificity and dynamism needed to spur action.
Now infuse it with an action verb: “I’ll nail 20 pushups every afternoon.” Suddenly, this passive intention morphs into an active pursuit. You have a specific task to complete.
Action verbs act as the driving force that propels us forward. They provide clarity and focus, defining the steps we need to take to achieve our goals.
To put it simply, action verbs are not just words; they’re like success multipliers. When we use them, we’re not just dreaming anymore; we are setting the stage for real achievement. And that’s they are so important when creating SMART goals.
150 Powerful Action Verbs for Your SMART Goals
- Achieve
- Acquire
- Act
- Adapt
- Administer
- Advance
- Advise
- Allocate
- Analyze
- Apply
- Arrange
- Assemble
- Assess
- Attain
- Balance
- Boost
- Build
- Calculate
- Collaborate
- Communicate
- Compare
- Complete
- Conclude
- Conduct
- Confirm
- Connect
- Consider
- Construct
- Continue
- Contribute
- Control
- Convert
- Coordinate
- Create
- Decide
- Define
- Deliver
- Demonstrate
- Design
- Develop
- Direct
- Discover
- Distribute
- Document
- Drive
- Earn
- Educate
- Eliminate
- Employ
- Enhance
- Ensure
- Establish
- Evaluate
- Execute
- Expand
- Facilitate
- Finish
- Focus
- Formulate
- Foster
- Gain
- Generate
- Guide
- Identify
- Implement
- Improve
- Increase
- Influence
- Inform
- Initiate
- Innovate
- Inspect
- Integrate
- Interact
- Investigate
- Join
- Justify
- Keep
- Learn
- Maintain
- Manage
- Measure
- Monitor
- Motivate
- Negotiate
- Observe
- Obtain
- Operate
- Optimize
- Organize
- Participate
- Perform
- Plan
- Prepare
- Produce
- Promote
- Propose
- Protect
- Provide
- Qualify
- Question
- Reach
- Realize
- Recommend
- Record
- Refine
- Regulate
- Reinforce
- Relate
- Report
- Research
- Resolve
- Respond
- Review
- Schedule
- Secure
- Select
- Sell
- Send
- Serve
- Set
- Simplify
- Solve
- Specify
- Standardize
- Start
- Strengthen
- Study
- Succeed
- Summarize
- Supervise
- Support
- Sustain
- Target
- Teach
- Test
- Track
- Train
- Transform
- Understand
- Update
- Utilize
- Validate
- Verify
- Volunteer
- Work
- Write
- Yield
- Yearn
- Zoom
Tips for Writing Action Verbs in SMART Goals
When writing your SMART goals, it’s essential to consider which action verbs are most appropriate for conveying the desired outcome. Below are some tips to help you come up with excellent action verbs for your goals:
1. Make Sure the Verb is Clear
Ensure your action verb can be understood without any confusion. Clear action verbs eliminate ambiguity and provide a definite direction for your goal.
For instance, instead of saying, “I want to do better in my job,” go for “I aim to increase my monthly sales by 10%.” In this case, “increase” is an action verb with a specific path to follow.
Select a verb that precisely describes the action you intend to take. Verbs like “complete,” “develop,” “achieve,” “reduce,” and “improve” are all decisive action verbs that leave no room for misunderstanding. They give a clear idea of what action must be taken.
Realize that clarity in your action verb sets the tone for goal setting. It paves the way for effective planning, diligent execution, and the successful achievement of your goal.
2. Use Positive Language
Positive language propels us forward, infusing our goals with energy and intention. Rather than writing, “Stop procrastinating on tasks,” a positively framed goal could be “Prioritize tasks efficiently every morning.”
The latter uses positive language and an action verb, “prioritize,” making the goal proactive and empowering.
Your choice of words can dramatically impact your mindset and motivation levels. Hence, taking advantage of positive language in your SMART goals fosters a productive, optimistic tone from the outset.
3. Don’t Overuse the Same Action Verbs
Using the same action verb multiple times in a goal may make it seem monotonous. To avoid this, try to diversify your goals with different action verbs.
Suppose you are looking to save money. The goal could be “I will reduce my monthly expenses by 10%.” Alternatively, you might use a different phrase like, “I’ll decrease my expenses by 10% every month.”
Combining action verbs of the same meaning but with different nuances and applications could add flavor to your goals and keep them interesting. This way, you boost your chances of sticking to them as they seem more attainable.
4. Create Relevant Action Verbs
When establishing SMART goals, using relevant action verbs is crucial. Relevant action verbs directly relate to the task or outcome you wish to accomplish.
So if your goal is to improve your fitness, relevant action verbs could include “run,” “lift,” swim,” or “cycle.” These verbs clearly convey what you need to do to reach success.
Selecting appropriate action verbs also adds specificity to your goals. Instead of stating, “I want to get fit,” a relevant action verb can transform this into “I will run three times a week.”
The action verbs you choose should align with both the nature of your goal and the steps needed to achieve it. Creating relevant action verbs will make your SMART goals more practical.
5. Leverage Power Words
Power words are persuasive; they spark emotive responses and spur decisive action. They’re the secret ingredients that make narratives and calls to action persuasive.
Imagine your SMART goals. Now infuse them with power words. Rather than simply “finishing” a project, why not “conquer” it? Instead of “losing” weight, why not “obliterate” pounds? These slight tweaks in language may massively impact your outlook and determination.
Power words should be laser-focused, communicating what you strive to achieve. “Amplify,” “elevate,” and “escalate” are dynamic substitutes for generic verbs like “improve” or “increase.”
Bear in mind the purpose of SMART goals extends beyond setting benchmarks; it’s about sparking action. Harnessing the might of power words will inject your goals with dynamism and zeal, making them irresistibly compelling.
Final Thoughts
Remember that goals are more than just checkpoints on your journey to success. They are your roadmap, guiding you toward your desired destination.
Armed with this comprehensive list of 150 dynamic action verbs, you’re now equipped to transform your dreams into robust, concrete SMART goals. But don’t stop there. Keep exploring, refining, and pushing forward.
Your goals are not static—they should evolve as you do, becoming more precise, targeted, and aligned with your aspirations. So dare to “master a new skill” and strive to “build a happy family.”
Give your goals the power and precision they deserve by harnessing the might of these action verbs. Your road to attaining SMART goals is just beginning. With the right words and mindset, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.
