Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution, and been so excited about it, only to quit before January was even over?
If you said YES, then you are not alone.
So many of us make resolutions every year, only to find ourselves feeling defeated and unable to keep those resolutions. You might just put them off, and then never really start or maybe you started and then ‘life’ just got busy and they fell by the wayside.
No matter the reason, it happens and it is time for a change.
So this year, instead of making a resolution (that we know we won’t stick to), let’s take an honest look at our lives and set a goal for where you want to be at the end of this year.
Seem overwhelming?
Stop thinking about the ‘how’, and just think about what you want in your life. Do you want to be healthier this year, practice more self-care or even just spend more quality time with your family?
OK, now that you have some ideas for goals let’s make them SMART!
If you work in a career that does any type of goal setting, you might have heard of this.
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound
Let’s break it down and talk about each part:
Specific: A specific goal is really digging down deep and getting to the nitty gritty of the goal you want. Here is an example of a specific goal, “I want to lose 50 pounds.” In a non-specific goal you might have just said to lose weight.
Measurable: To be measurable, you need to be able to have something that can be quantified. When you say you want to lose 50lbs you can measure that and you know how many more pounds you need to lose to get to your goal.
Attainable: Something that is attainable can be accomplished or achieved. Do people lose 50lbs, and is this something that you can do the work in to do? Making this a realistic goal for you will help you stay on track and meet this goal. Will you be able to do this goal? If you aren’t sure, it is ok to set a smaller goal, and then once you hit your goal you can make another goal.
Relevant: If your goal is to lose 50lbs, you need to stay focused on that, and not deviate. Look at your life, and set your goal based on what is happening with you. Then double check to make sure that it is suitable for your particular purpose. For the example of losing weight, you may want to check in with your medical doctor, in order to really get connected with your goal.
Time-bound: When your goal is time-bound it is a way to keep yourself accountable. When you do this be very specific with what dates you choose. If your ultimate goal is to lose 50lbs by the end of the year, you might even break that up with smaller goals to hit throughout the year. If you take 50 and divide that by 12 months, you will need to lose 4.2 pounds a month. So you could round it up, and have a goal to lose 5lbs a month. That way you have some wiggle room in case some months are a little less.
SMART goals can help you reach your desires and make your goals attainable. It’s ok if you need to set smaller SMART goals, just to prove that you can do this. You can always set a new goal next month or even next week!
You’ve got this!!
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