Setting SMART Goals in the New Year!
Yes, it is that time of the year again. Most of us will have a list of new year resolutions, and most of these plans will fade into the background by March, making us feel like we failed because we could not follow through with them. Based on research, 50 percent of adults in the United States make New Year’s resolutions, but fewer than 10 percent actually keep them for more than a few months*.
Did you ever stop and ask yourself why these resolutions do not work? “What am I missing?” Maybe you were blaming yourself for not being “strong” enough. Stop there. What if the problem is not what you are doing wrong or not being strong enough but setting the wrong goals for yourself?
Below, I will teach you how to set SMART goals for the new year so that you can turn your past disappointments into future accomplishments.
The acronym SMART stands for:
Specific (simple, sensible, significant),
Measurable (meaningful, motivating),
Achievable (agreed, attainable),
Relevant (reasonable, realistic, and resourced, results-based),
Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).
This acronym can be applied to different goals such as studying, losing weight and even learning a new language. Since it is the beginning of a new year, I will share how we can turn two of the most common new year resolutions into SMART goals.
Losing Weight
Wouldn’t that be great if we can lose that stubborn 20 lbs.? Losing weight is one of the most common new year resolutions. Here is how we can turn that into a SMART goal:
S: Set specific goals about how you plan to lose weight. For example: I will walk 3 times a week for 30 minutes and start using a phone app to track my calories to keep it under 2000 cals
M: Talk about numbers. I plan to lose 1% of my body weight or bring my BMI below 25.
A: Be true to yourself. If you have never exercised once in your life, planning to exercise 1 hour everyday will be setting yourself up for failure. Instead, start with small changes. (i.e., I will walk 15 minutes everyday)
R: Your goals need to motivate you for change. It needs to have a significance for you. For example, you can say: If I lose 30 lbs I can manage my diabetes better and lower my risk of developing other chronic illnesses.
T: What is your timeline to achieve your weight loss goal? Keep (A)chievable and (R)elevant in mind when determining your timeline. Is it realistic to lose 50 lbs in 3 weeks? Or maybe it is too long to set 1 year to lose 10 lbs… What is realistic based on your health, age, amount of weight you want to lose and your lifestyle?
SMART goal application for weight loss: I want to lose 20 lbs in 20 weeks by walking 2 times a week for 45 minutes and decreasing my calorie intake by 20%. I will use my smart watch to keep track of my exercise routine and use calorie tracker app to track my food intake. If I lose this weight, I can be more active with my kids and lower my risk of developing heart disease.
Eating Healthy
Another common goal most of us like to accomplish. The term eating healthy is extremely broad and can mean different things to different people. If you eat fast food every day, eating home cooked meal 2 times a week can be your definition of eating healthy. So how can we apply SMART strategy for this goal? Here is an example:
S: I will decrease my red meat intake and increase the amount of veggies I eat.
M: I currently eat red meat daily. I will decrease it down to 3 times a week and replace the other days with fish, legumes, and fresh vegetables.
A: Be true to yourself. If you hate broccoli, do not assume that the “new” you will like it. Instead, try to find different ways to cook your favorite vegetables.
R: Why do you want to make that change? What is your motivation? Maybe you have a family history of heart disease or you want to contribute to the decrease of carbon emission created by the cattle.
T: What is a realistic and attainable timeline for this goal? I plan to decrease one red meat meal a month and complete this lifestyle change in 4 months.
I want to decrease my read meat consumption form 7 times a week to 3 times a week and I want to increase my vegetable intake from 4 servings a week to 7 servings a week. I will do that my replacing the red meat with legumes, chicken and fish. I will also research veggie recipes to expand my cooking options. I plan to cut one red meat meal a month and add one serving of legumes/chicken/vegie a month until I reach my goal in 4 months. Making this change will improve both my physical and mental health.
Setting realistic, timely and attainable goals increases our ability to achieve them and improves our self-esteem. While setting goals, it is also important to be flexible and aware of external factors that affect the outcome. I hope you find these two examples helpful and inspiring to set your own goals for 2021.
