With 2016 right around the corner, many of us are starting to think of New Year’s resolutions. While New Year’s resolutions are a great way to start fresh in the coming year, they are often unsuccessful. In fact, only 8% of people who create New Year’s resolutions are successful in achieving them. So, how do they do it? How do 8% of people manage to create a goal at the beginning of the year and stick to it, while so many of us fail to do the same? It is likely that they are creating SMART goals.
SMART is an acronym for a type of goal setting with 5 components to it. When utilized correctly, SMART goals are often very effective. Here is how SMART goals work:
SMART: Specific- Goals that are specific are more likely to be achieved than vague goals. In order to create a specific goal, you need to take into consideration all aspects of the goal. First, identify what you want to accomplish. Then, determine why you want to accomplish this goal. Understanding your reason for wanting to accomplish your goal will provide you with motivation to achieve this goal and will help you to determine other aspects of it. Once you’ve determined what you want to accomplish and why, you need to dictate how you plan to accomplish this goal.
Example: Simple goal: I want to lose weight.
Specific goal: I want to lose weight to improve my confidence and health by going to Saratoga Health and Wellness 3 times per week for 45-60 minutes to exercise.
- In the specific goal, the desire to lose weight is what the goal-setter wants to accomplish, improving confidence and health is why they want to accomplish it, and exercising 3 times per week for 45-60 minutes at Saratoga Health and Wellness is how they plan to accomplish it.
SMART: Measurable- When setting your goal, you need to establish criteria for measuring progress. This allows you to see if you are on the right track towards achieving your goal and will allow you to determine when you have succeeded.
Example: Simple goal: I want to lose weight.
Measurable goal: I want to lose 10 pounds.
- In the measurable goal, the goal-setter is using pounds as a form of measurement, by indicating that they would like to lose 10 pounds.
SMART: Attainable- Setting a goal that is attainable means that it is something you have the capability to be successful in. Will you be able to fit the things you need to do in order to achieve the goal into your schedule? Are you willing to make some necessary sacrifices to achieve the goal? The goal also needs to be realistic in order to be attainable as well. For example, setting a goal to lose 50 pounds in one month might not be realistic for most people. However, giving yourself three months to lose 10 pounds allows you to focus on losing about one pound per week, which is more realistic.
SMART: Relevant- Creating relevant goals stresses choosing goals that matter to you. Does your goal align with other goals in your life? Is this a goal that you actually want to accomplish for yourself or is someone else pushing you to achieve this goal? If your goal is to lose weight because someone else in your life wants you to, but you don’t really feel the need or desire to lose weight, this may not be a relevant goal for you.
SMART: Timed-Creating a timeline for achieving your goal is crucial to the success of it. Developing a deadline for your goal allows you to focus on the efforts needed to achieve the goal. It also prevents the goal from being overtaken and set aside when other things arise in your life.
Example: Simple goal: I want to lose weight.
Timed goal: I want to lose weight by March 31st, 2016.
- The time goal indicates March 31st, 2016 as the deadline for the goal-setter to reach their goal of losing weight.
Taking all aspects of SMART goal setting and putting them together help you to create a goal that you are more likely to be successful in achieving. In our example, we started with a very simple goal: the desire to lose weight. When we apply the SMART goal principles, we create a goal that is much clearer and more likely to be accomplished: I want to lose 10 pounds by March 31st, 2016 in order to improve my health and confidence. I will do so by going to Saratoga Health and Wellness 3 times per week for 45-60 minutes to exercise.
Once you have created your SMART goal, post it somewhere that you will see it often and be reminded of the goal you are working to achieve. Good luck and happy goal setting!