Creating SMART New Year’s Resolutions

Have you ever started off January with every intent of sticking to a New Year’s resolution only to fall off the wagon completely by mid-February?

You are not alone. Changing habits can be hard. Sometimes, we set ourselves up for failure by creating resolutions that are too vague, too ambitious, or just plain impossible in the time allotted.

Successful resolutions begin with the wording of the resolution itself. If you’re doubtful grammar has anything to do with your ability to stick to a new Spinning class, bear with me for a moment.

Many New Year’s resolutions are related to wellness. Flossing more regularly, quitting smoking, working out more often, eating more fruits and vegetables, or losing a few pounds are all common goals. Although all these resolutions can definitely be worthy of pursuing, it can be difficult to translate these goals into concrete actions which lead to long-term, sustainable lifestyle changes. The wording of the resolution itself comes into play here.

Here’s an example.

Typical Goal: “Next year, I want to finally lose this extra weight by being more active.”

Mentally, it may be easy to visualize how being slimmer would feel, how your clothes may fit better, how you would have more energy, and so on. However, this is very much a “big picture” goal, with all the focus on achieving the goal and little in the way of actions leading to the goal. It speaks very little of how you might go about losing weight, how often you want to be active, how realistic this increased physical activity would be, or how long you expect to increase your activity levels.

You have set yourself up for a few weeks of thinking yourself thinner – meaning lots of hoping and wishing, a little bit of tangible behavior change, and a barrelful of disappointment after seeing little headway towards your goal in the coming months.

A great tool to avoid this outcome is to create “SMART” goals. SMART is an acronym to help people word goals in such a way that sets them up for making successful long-term changes. There are a few variations on the acronym, but I enjoy the following design:

Specific. What exactly are you trying to do? How do you want to do it?

Think of the difference between “I’m going to eat healthier” versus “I am going to eat fast food no more than once a week.” One goal is vague and outcome-focused, while the other zooms in on the present actions required to achieve that goal.

Measurable. How will you know if you are reaching your goal? Include a number or frequency as a method of measurement.

Saying you will eat more fruits and vegetable is fine, but more than what? Put in a number to quantify it. “I will eat at least 2 servings of fruits and at least 3 servings of vegetables every day” is much more measurable. You will know if you have achieved it at the end of each day instead of just going by a feeling or estimate.

Attainable. Is your goal able to be achieved under even the best of circumstances?

Going to yoga classes five days a week at your gym is only possible if it works with your work schedule and you can afford the membership fees for the whole year.

Realistic. Is your goal something you feel you would be able to stick to over time? Is it believable that you could achieve it in the time and way specified?

Planning on jogging 20 minutes at your local park every day sounds very nice and all, but what if it’s raining? Would you still run outside? What if you are sick? What if it is a holiday? Is this something you can stick to? What might be a more realistic goal for your lifestyle and schedule?

Timely. What is my deadline? Put in a date or time measurement here to keep yourself accountable.

This could mean how many weeks of tennis lessons you want to pursue, when you want to finish your first 5K, or how long you think it will take you to quit smoking.

In the following revised resolution, we have moved the focus from the goal to the process.

SMART Goal: “For the next twelve months, I want do my Pilates workout video every other day, take a 15 minute walk with my dog after dinner five days a week, and take the stairs instead of the elevator at work every weekday.”

A big-picture goal is fine as you are forming your New Year’s resolutions, but back it up with specific SMART goals to move it from the abstract to the concrete.

Remember, these guidelines for goal-writing are meant to help you find personal accountability and reach your goals, not a way for you to declare failure or give up on yourself if you don’t hit your goal. Never measure self-worth based on your ability to meet a goal. Sometimes the goals simply need to be tweaked as new information is collected. Perhaps you discover you really hate the Zumba instructor you have on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This might mean you need to switch up your goal and do another activity those nights instead.

Remember to roll with the punches, focus on progress, not perfection, and ask for help when you need it from your support system or health care team.

I know you can do it! Happy New Year!

Thanks for reading!

Anna