It’s January and it’s time to Think SMART goals!

Now, I refrained myself from writing this at the beginning of the year. Goals in January, especially at the beginning of January, are better known as New Year's resolutions.

By now, you either love or hate them. You either get excited or you revolt. 

New Year's resolutions are often seen as something that you never accomplish. But if you approach your resolutions with a methodical plan where you get clear on what you want to achieve your goals will know no bounds.  

So why is goal setting important? Effective goal setting allows you to visualize the goal in your mind, but more importantly, visualize the steps that it takes to get there. Having a goal like losing weight, getting more sleep, or meditating is great, but likely missing some key steps to achieving the goal.  

Your desired result is commonly referred to as your outcome goal, which represents something that you deeply desire. However, it's important to identify the specific actions required to make it a reality. That's why the SMART principle is valuable, as it can help us establish a clear and actionable plan to achieve our outcome goal.

Simply stating your desire to lose weight to the universe may not be sufficient. This is because your goals may lack direction and purpose, which can make it difficult to track progress and understand the underlying motivation behind your weight loss journey. SMART principle forces you to give your goal a direction.

Here are 4 reasons why goal setting is important:

1. Effective goal setting helps you define a clear purpose and direction

2. Be able to visualize what you want, and how to chase after it

3. Be able to assess progress

4. Be much more likely to achieve a result

By completing this worksheet that you can download here you will be able to visualize what achieving your goal looks and feels like, and the process that it will take to get you there. 

What is the SMART Principle about? 

To ensure we can set effective and measurable goals, we can use the SMART principle.

S - Specific

Is the goal clearly written, with no ambivalence? Is it clear who needs to accomplish the goal, and any support that might be expected?

M - Measurable

Does the goal answer the questions of how many, how much and/or how often?

A - Achievable

Can you get the support needed to achieve the goal by the target date? Do you have all the resources needed to achieve the goal? Are the results expected realistic?

R - Relevant

Does the goal make a difference to your career/health/well-being? Is it going to make an improvement in your personal life?  Is it going to significantly make a difference for you and your environment?

T- Time Bound

Does the goal state a clear specific completion date?

Now this may seem like a bit of work, but I promise you it’s worth it. Download this worksheet here to help guide you set achievable goals this year.

Make 2024 your bitch here.

Dee