I’ve heard an estimate that the average individual will achieve only one third of his or her true potential. The estimator went on to assert that only 2 percent of the work force in the United States have the discipline to accomplish their dreams. The reason given? Twenty-three percent of us don’t know what we want. Sixty-seven percent do know but don’t know how to get it, leaving 10 percent who both know what they want and know how to get it. Of these lucky few, only 30 percent will actually achieve their goals. And that’s because they know how to dream S-M-A-R-T.

To be S-M-A-R-T, a dream must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. It must be grounded by natural law and determined by human nature. The dream must be pared down to its lowest common denominator so that you can clearly see what to do, in a step-by-step progression, to attain it.

For instance, take tennis. The chance to win is built point-after-point in the effort never to lose two points in a row. If you never lose two points in a row, you’ll never lose a game.

Of course, never to lose two points in a row means you try to win every point. That’s unrealistic, even for Ivan Lendl. By focusing on every point, you try for perfection on each aspect of form and strategy every time.

By finding the lowest common denominator and then working for it – in this case one point – you get steadily closer to your goal. The lowest common denominator helps you define the aspects of your effort clearly enough to confirm that you are doing each aspect correctly. This makes each effort specific and measurable, and, with practice, winning becomes achievable. Only then do you have a realistic expectation of achieving your dream. The rules of the game are what organizes the effort. In tennis, it’s the rules that confirm the validity of trying to win every point, or at least never to lose two in a row, as a strategy for winning. By referencing the rules of tennis, you define what is measurably achievable and what is the minimum performance necessary to accomplish the goal. The goal, in the end, must first pass the test of reality.

If your dream meets the first four criteria, and you still want it, your dream is timely. Notice, though, that each of the first four criteria must be met – your dream must be specific, measurable, achievable and realistic – or you will be playing a game of pure luck, and, as we all know, luck never smiles on the unprepared.

If, after looking inward, you find you don’t really want some old dream that you have been harboring in the corner of your mind, or that you never really did want it (many a kitchen nook has been built in the wrong corner and for the wrong reason), in the end it won’t matter if your dream meets the first four criteria.

Being specific, measurable, achievable and realistic isn’t enough. If the goal isn’t your own, you won’t work hard enough or long enough to make it happen. If you do work hard enough out of a once-committed-it-must-be-done sense of duty, you won’t feel exhilarated even when you achieve it and that’s as debilitating as having no dreams at all.

Happiness requires satisfaction and satisfaction isn’t gained by working on someone else’s dream instead of your own. We can share dreams with others and work on fulfillment in tandem, but a good goal is always attached to a personal dream.

On the other hand, if your dream isn’t specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely, no amount of enthusiasm and desire will make it come true. The chances of your dream coming true go up in direct proportion to how S-M-A-R-T your dream is.