As the new year approaches, many will make resolutions, especially those involving healthier habits. To make it easier to keep track of your goals, let me introduce you to SMART goals.

As you may have guessed, SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely.

For example, let’s say you want to drink more water. This is a very vague goal, but by using SMART goals, you can set specific measurements to achieve this.

SMART Goals

“A goal without a plan is just a wish” is a quote by French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. SMART goals will help plan your objectives. Below is what each letter stands for:

Specific–Clearly define what you want to change. Instead of wanting to drink more water, your goal can be to drink 8 cups of water a day.

Measurable—Track how much water you currently drink in a day. Your goal will be to increase that amount until you drink 8 cups of water a day.

Achievable—Ensure the goal is realistic and attainable. For example, it would be difficult to go from drinking 2 cups to 8 cups of water a day in a week. Slowly increase your water intake to 3 cups a day and go up from there.

Relevant–How important is drinking more water to you? The more invested you are in the goal, the more likely you are to achieve it. You can tell yourself that drinking more water is a way to be healthier and remind yourself of the benefits. Drinking more water regulates blood sugar levels, supports kidney function, helps digestion, aids weight loss, and prevents constipation. Remind yourself of why it’s so important to stay hydrated.

Timely–set a specific deadline or timeframe to create urgency and focus. For example, increase your water intake weekly until you drink 8 cups a day within 2 months.

You can apply SMART goals to other health goals, such as exercising more. First, state your goal is to exercise 3 times a week, for example. Second, set measurable details such as swimming on Mondays, jogging on Wednesdays, and joining a spin class on Fridays. Or you can exercise for 3 hours every week. Third, you can start exercising once a week and slowly increase it from there. Fourth, remind yourself of the benefits of exercising, such as making your body more sensitive to insulin, improving cardiovascular health, and boosting mood. Finally, set a timeline, from exercising 1 time a week to 3 times a week within the next 3 months.

Write Your Goals

A study by Dr. Gail Matthews of Dominican University found that people who wrote their goals were 42% more likely to achieve them than those who didn’t, especially when they committed to action and accountability, like sending weekly progress reports to a friend, leading to even greater success. 

Other reasons to write your goals:

• Writing your goals reinforces them in your memory and enhances focus
• Seeing your goals in black and white forces you to define them more clearly
• Writing your goals gives you a sense of ownership
• Written goals are a constant reminder and hold you accountable
• Writing your goals makes it easier to review them and see your progress

However, if you’re thinking about typing your goals, consider handwriting them instead. A 2014 study published in Psychological Science found that students who took handwritten notes kept more information and understood concepts better than those who typed their notes.

Conclusion

Goals can be difficult to achieve and maintain, but by using SMART goals, you turn vague goals into specific, actionable plans with deadlines, making them easier to track and accomplish. SMART goals will also remind you of why the goal is important to you.

Quotes

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” C.S. Lewis

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” Oprah