Setting SMART Goals for the New Year

The start of a new year is a great time to set goals for you self and start fresh on some things you want to accomplish in the next year. Whether those goals be health, work, financial, family or emotional, you should set your goals in a way that makes them achievable and something you can gauge throughout the year to see if you are making them a reality. This is where SMART goals come in. If you have never heard of SMART goals, it is a tool to make sure the goals you are setting are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based, and a way to make your goals organized and easy to track.

Specific- You need to be specific about the end result. Use action words like “to increase”, “to establish”, “to reduce” and “to create”.

Measurable-You want something that will allow you to gauge how well you are progressing toward achieving the objective. You don’t want an objective that is vague. So tell yourself how you are going to measure the achievement then you will know when it hasn’t been achieved, when it’s been met and when it’s been exceeded.

Attainable- Make sure the goal you are setting is something that is within your reach and that you will actually be able to reach that goal in the time frame you have given yourself.

Relevant- Is the objective within something you will have control or influence over? 

Time-Based- What is the time frame for achieving the objective. A target date and some milestones help keep things on track.