This may sound familiar. You start the new year with the best of intentions to adopt a healthy new habit. Weeks in, your resolve starts to fade. By February, you decide maybe your goal can wait until next year.
You’re not alone if you’ve had this experience. According to Columbia University, nearly half of Americans make resolutions. However, only about 25% of people stay committed to their objectives after just 30 days, and fewer than 10% accomplish them.
Making a resolution is laudable — whether you’re aiming to eat healthier, lose weight, start exercising or adopt a mindfulness practice.
If you’ve failed to realize a resolution in the past, the issue likely wasn’t the goal itself but rather how you went about trying to accomplish it.
“With focus, intentionality, and reasonable expectations, you can increase your likelihood of seeing success with your resolution,” says Dr. Yvette Goebel, a Clinical Psychologist with ThedaCare Behavioral Health. “The SMART goal framework can serve as a helpful tool.”
What Are SMART Goals?
Oftentimes, resolutions are vague. It’s not surprising that resolve can waver when the objective — and the way to reach it — is loosely defined. SMART goals can help change that.
SMART stands for:
- Specific: What will you accomplish, and how?
- Measurable: How will you measure whether you’ve achieved your goal?
- Achievable: Is the goal realistic for who you are today? Do you have the tools and resources to reach it?
- Relevant: Why is this goal important to you?
- Time-bound: What’s your timeframe for accomplishing your goal?
Working through the SMART goal process can help you unpack your goal and formulate a road map to reach it, Dr. Goebel says.
“When making a SMART goal, please be gentle and kind with who you are today,” she says. “You may have been able to read tons of books in your teen years, with limited responsibilities and the local library providing great rewards through its summer reading programs. However, as an adult with many responsibilities, reading may be harder but not impossible. Set the goal with the understanding of who you are today, so you can achieve success rather than comparing your progress to your past.”
A SMART Goal in Action
To better learn how a SMART goal might work for you, it can help to explore an example.
Vague resolution: I want to exercise more.
SMART resolution: I want to begin a running routine that will allow me to participate in the April Fools’ Day 5K.
Here’s how this goal this goal becomes attainable:
- Specific: Starting a running routine that will prepare you to run a 5K through adopting and adhering to a training plan.
- Measurable: Commit to training 30 minutes, three days per week. Work toward running by starting with walking continuously for 30 minutes for each workout session. From there, transition to run-walking, gradually increasing your distance and endurance. Consider using an app to track your progress. “It is also important to be aware of what you are able to control with a goal,” Dr. Goebel says. “We may not always be able to control the scale, but we can control healthy behaviors, such as setting a regular exercise routine.”
- Achievable: The goal of working your way up to a 5K within four months is an attainable goal that requires the discipline to stick to the plan you’ve laid out. Analyze your schedule and find the time that works best for you. You also can find an accountability buddy to cheer you on and help keep you motivated. Depending on your location, you may want to ensure you have access to gym equipment or appropriate clothing to ensure you don’t allow your mind to give you a reason to not achieve your goal.
- Relevant: The goal is meaningful because you’ve identified that adopting a running routine is important to you.
- Time-bound: Through training three days per week for 16 weeks, you can reach the goal you’ve set for yourself.
Make SMART Goals Work for You
Regardless of your objective, you can make SMART goals for you. Here are a few more examples how:
- Eating more fruits and veggies through adding a fruit to your breakfast and a vegetable side to your lunch each day
- Beginning a meditation practice by finding 10 minutes, three days per week to do a free guided meditation
- Embracing yoga by committing to practicing one day a week and finding a favorite YouTube teacher or in-person class
- Reading more books by setting aside 20 minutes each day for the pastime and visiting the library every two weeks to browse the new selection of titles
- Working toward a healthier sleep routine by turning off all devices one hour before bedtime
On Your Way to a Healthier You
Once you achieve your goal, don’t be surprised if more follow. The more you stick to a concrete plan to reach attainable objectives, the easier it gets to apply those learnings to new aspirations.
“Remember as well that there’s value in the experience itself, whether you achieve your goal or not,” Dr. Goebel says. “It’s about progress, not perfection.”
Prioritize your mental and emotional health this year. Learn about all the services available through ThedaCare Behavioral Health.
