When I was at college, we had a term during which we were supposed to learn about SMART goals and planning for the future. At the time, the general consensus among us students was that it was a waste of our time. It didn’t count towards our marks and as we had exams approaching, we wanted to focus on studying for them instead. Eventually the college agreed and let us drop it to prioritise our exam preparation, but as I’ve been thinking about New Year’s resolutions recently the idea of SMART goals has come back to me.
New Year’s resolutions are fun to make at the beginning of the year, but they’ve also become a bit of a joke. Very few people seem to stick by them through the whole year. Perseverance, complacency, and self-discipline are part of the problem. Yet perhaps another part is that we’re not making the right resolutions? As I think back on my New Year’s resolution for the past year, I find that I don’t know if I’ve achieved it or not. In hindsight, it was a very vague wish. It’s difficult to tell how I would even measure success or failure. I’ve made progress and learnt many things in the past year; yet was that proactive growth or simply the passage of time?
Life is short. We only have so much time on earth and we have a responsibility to make the most of the opportunity we’ve been given. God willing, I’ve been gifted another year, so I want to use it for His glory. What that will look like, I don’t know yet, but being intentional in setting positive New Year’s resolutions is the best way to start the year off on a good foot. This year I’m going to make my New Year’s resolutions SMART goals so that I have a clear path in sight to some more tangible progress by the end of the year.
Specific
SMART goals is an acronym and the first letter stands for Specific. This means making it clear exactly what you’re setting out to accomplish. Rather than having some vague, woolly idea, narrow it down to a specific goal you can focus on. The journey is more important than your destination and you should try to enjoy each step throughout the next year, yet make sure that you do have a final destination in sight. Be clear what a definite marker of success would look like at the end of the year.
Measurable
The M in SMART stands for Measurable. This means that you’re able to track your progress throughout the year and measure how far you’ve come. Break your New Year’s resolution down into smaller and more manageable steps that you can actively complete. Successfully completing one of these steps will let you see the progress you’ve made and act as motivation. Having a plan will help you check in and make sure you’re still on track with your yearly goal.
Achievable
A key part of SMART goals is that they must be Achievable. Don’t pick something that would be impossible for you to achieve within the next year. The whole point of New Year’s resolutions is that they should be realistic yet challenging. Don’t overload yourself. Only make a manageable number of New Year’s resolutions – I would advise not more than three. Goals should help you get where you want to be and enjoy the journey, not make everything perfect overnight. Know how much you can handle. There’s no pressure to be perfect.
Relevant
The driving force of SMART goals is that they must be Relevant. Choose a New Year’s resolution that you find personally relevant and that is meaningful to your true self. Don’t just choose a certain goal because society says you should. If you do you’re more likely to lose interest and not keep the resolution. Be clear on your motive. Know why you want to achieve it and why you’re willing to work for it. Having a New Year’s resolution that’s positive and has strong personal relevance will help you maintain it throughout the year. Write down what your resolution is and why it matters to you, so that it will feel more permanent. Share your goals with a friend or family member. They can help keep you accountable, offer encouragement, and remind you why you chose that resolution.
Time-Bound
Finally, the T in the SMART goals acronym stands for Time-bound. The good thing about New Year’s resolutions is that they automatically have this because they’re built around a time limit of one year. However, it’s also important to think about reviewing your progress throughout the year and considering what steps you’ll need to have taken by what month in order to stay on target for achieving your goal.
I hope that you’ll find these tips helpful in setting your New Year’s resolutions. Ultimately, however, the key to resolutions is the resolve. You’ll need willpower to stick to it and sometimes you’ll just have to make the decision to do so simply because you committed to that goal. You won’t always feel as motivated as you do now at the beginning of the year, but if your New Year’s resolution is worth making then it’s worth keeping. By feeding good habits it will become easier. I’ve linked a video below that talks about the power of habits and it gives what I think is a very helpful, motivating allegory. I’d recommend that you watch it.
Happy New Year and best of luck for your New Year’s resolutions! You can do this!
Feminine Finishing School 