Research shows us that more than half of all Americans make New Year’s resolutions. After six months, more than half of those had been abandoned. At the end of the year, only 9% had stuck with those resolutions. Still we keep telling ourselves that a new year is a time to make changes in our lives.
What are the most common resolutions? To improve health and physical wellness, improve mental or spiritual health, improve relationships with others, learn new skills, and take better control of our finances.
All of these are worthwhile goals. Why do we fail? Maybe our goals were unrealistic, much too large. Maybe we made too many resolutions. Sometimes we don’t keep track of our progress, so we lose momentum and eventually give up.
How can we improve our chances of success? First, we should pick only one area to prioritize. Next choose a specific point to focus on. Then turn that specific resolution into a SMART goal.
A SMART goal is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Based. Specific means your goal should be clear and narrow. Measurable – what evidence will prove that you are making progress? Attainable – is this something that can reasonably be accomplished? Relevant – does this goal move you toward a larger objective? Time-based – having a reasonable end date helps keep you motivated, especially if you set up a reward.
The biggest problem is that we make our goals too broad. Most of us need to focus more on being specific. What do we want to accomplish? Is it something we, and not someone else, are responsible for? If our goal is realistic and within our control, we are much more likely to stick with it. Most experts recommend that we write the goal down and post it somewhere we will see it every day.
Besides writing down the goal, many people write down their obstacles. Think about what challenges you may face and how you will deal with them.
Get support from others to help you reach your goal. People close to you can ask for updates and offer encouragement. If you feel accountable to them, you are more likely to stick with your resolution.
A goal needs to be time-based; if you have stayed with it for a certain length of time it has hopefully become a habit. It’s time to give yourself a reward to celebrate! Then set a new SMART goal that moves you closer to your overall objective.
The most common resolutions focus on health or physical wellness. We may not exercise enough, we don’t get enough sleep, we eat the wrong things, and most of us could stand to lose a few pounds. So what would a SMART goal look like?
We begin by prioritizing only one issue. “I need more exercise.” Then we set a smaller focus within that issue. “I will walk two miles five days a week for two months.” Is this Specific? Yes. Measurable? Yes. Attainable? Yes. Relevant? Yes, it moves us toward the larger goal. Time-based? Yes. Can I give myself a reward if I achieve it? Yes. Can I set a new SMART goal at the end of two months that moves me ahead to the larger goal? Yes.
Maybe instead I choose to prioritize diet. I just looked at the USDA dietary guidelines for my age so I know I need 2 ½ cups of vegetables, 2 cups of fruit, 6 ounces of grain, 3 cups of dairy, 27 grams of oil, and 5 ounces of protein each day. 8% of my diet, or 140 calories, can be spent on other things. I’ve fallen short on vegetables, so I focus my SMART goal there. “I will eat a green leafy salad of 1 ½ cups two days a week for the next month.” Is this Specific? Yes. Measurable? Yes. Attainable? Yes. Relevant? Yes. Time-based? Yes. Can I give myself a reward if I achieve it? Yes. Can I set a new SMART goal at the end of the month that moves me ahead to the larger goal? Yes.
Research shows us that timing is important in determining whether or not we succeed. Mentally we see new beginnings as turning points. That is why we generally set resolutions at the new year. Many people set goals at the beginning of the month or the beginning of the week. These are certainly good times to measure success and set follow-up goals.
New Year’s resolutions are not easy to achieve. Goals require commitment, focus, and hard work. But if we do a good job of making SMART goals, we can improve our lives. The longest journey begins with a single step.