New Year Resolutions vs SMART Goals

Have you ever woken up on New Year’s Day and said things like, “I’m going to drink more water this year, I’m going to start working out, learn a new language, moderate my drinking, and eat healthier.”

Haven’t we all? How long did these types of New Year’s resolutions last? How realistic are the expectations you are setting for yourself? I get it: the end of a year and the start of a new you. Humans have evolved to become what we are today over thousands of years, not overnight.

New Year’s resolutions don’t last or stick because we often set HUGE, drastic changes for our daily lives that are unattainable and too challenging to commit to. Change is hard. Small adjustments can be implemented daily and, over time, lead to the life-changing results we wish to achieve.

 SMART goals are personal. They are set to engage with the person you are and how to strengthen that person's best qualities. Real change means comfortable, incremental steps that are enjoyable to engage in.

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Sensitive.

 Oxford defines a goal as the object of a person's ambition or effort, an aim or desired result.

 Let’s look at the New Year’s Resolution (overall outcome): I want to be more active.

What does that LOOK like to you?

 SMART Goal Strategy:
I want to be active 3x a week. 

 Specific: What are you going to do?

·      Schedule time for your goal

o   I will walk my dog 3 km every morning at 8:30.

o   I will set my alarm for xx: xx and go to the gym at xx; xx for one hour on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

o   You get the idea….create your own schedule.

Measurable:

·      Document the days you engage in physical activity.

·      Record how you felt energetically, emotionally, and cognitively on the days you worked out. – note any changes – improvements, challenges, successes.

Attainable:

·      Inspired by motivation, do not get discouraged by something you cannot do.

·      What skills and tools do I already possess to achieve this goal

·      What small adjustments can I realistically make with ease to accomplish this goal?

Relevant

·      Does this goal align with my values, preferences, schedule, etc?

·      Are my strategies conducive to how I want to live my life?

·      Does engaging in these behaviours feel good?

Time Sensitive

·      Small, consistent changes lead to lasting healthy habits. 

·      Record a baseline of your activity, checking in with your baseline weekly and monthly.

·      Are you active 3x a week? after three months of practicing what it takes to achieve your SMART goal, record how you feel, think, and behave, and be curious about what adjustments you might want to make to achieve maximum results.

If yes, Congratulations! You’ve reached your goal! Pat yourself on the back! Reflect on the process, and celebrate your success. Embrace that achievement! Now what?

Maintain that goal!

Set new SMART Goals.