Setting SMART Goals for the New Year

The holidays are here and people are starting to think about their New Year's resolutions. This year, start early and set yourself up for success to make your goals more long-term goals that will last you through the whole year. 

Look back on the past year and think about all your accomplishments and the challenges you faced. Focus on what you wanted to accomplish, what you didn't quite get to, and where you dream of being. This moment of reflection is instrumental in determining what types of goals you should to set in the new year. 

Was your past year challenging? Maybe you had some major life distractions or other obstacles that unexpectedly snuck into your life. That doesn't make you a failure, and you have to honor your persistence and dedication through that difficult time. Use this time to decide if your goal is actually important to you. If so, what you can do differently this year to make that goal more easily attainable?

If you had an easy year, where all of your hard work was enough to get you to where you wanted to be, take a moment and celebrate your successes. Your future goals will build off the success of the previous year. Now you have to think about how you can challenge yourself and push yourself even further. 

Set S.M.A.R.T Goals

When setting goals, you want to make sure they are S.M.A.R.T. goals in order to set you up for success from the very beginning. 

Specific - Make your goal very specific. Goals that are too broad will leave too much room for the unknown. When you nail down exactly what you want out of life to the most minute detail, it will make it easier to break down your goal and get to exactly where you want to be. 

Measurable - Your goal should be measurable so that you have a clear definition that you have accomplished it. This helps because being able to track your progress keeps you motivated. Think: How much? How many? When will I know that it is accomplished? 

Attainable - While it is great to shoot for the stars, you want to make sure you won't have to stretch too far out of reach to meet your goals. You need goals that are reasonable and attainable in order to be successful. 

Relevant - This step ensures that your goal matters to you, and that it aligns with your other relevant goals. Is it a goal that is worthwhile and supports something that matters to you? If not, it may need to be altered to fit those needs. 

Timely - Every goal needs a deadline. Without a deadline, it is easy to say, "oh, I will get to it another day." This step helps you to prevent everyday, mundane tasks from taking priority over your long-term goals. You want to keep those goals at top of your mind every day in order to achieve them within your time frame.  

S.M.A.R.T goals can help provide the focus and clarity you need in order to reach long-term and short-term life goals. By giving yourself objectives and deadlines, it can be more encouraging to complete your goals. Once you set your goals, share them with us! The next step to helping you achieve your goals is giving yourself a public scoreboard, and we would love to be part of holding you accountable! 

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Happy goal-setting!