Making SMART Goals for 2022!

Happy New Year!

How are those resolutions coming?

I didn’t make any resolutions for 2022. Only 8% of people who make resolutions actually keep them, and I’m tired of being part of that statistic.

So, this year, I focused on making goals instead.

What’s the difference, you ask? Well, a resolution is “a firm decision to do or not to do something” (like stop biting my nails or get in shape), while a goal is “the object of a person’s ambition or effort.”

These definitions tell me that resolutions are more rigid and can weigh us down, while goals let us see the fruits of our labors and enjoy the process.

However, we can’t make goals willy-nilly. We need to make them SMART-ly.

SMART is an acronym created by businessman Peter Drucker to help us set better goals. Now, it can stand for a few different things, but the standard definition is:

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Relevant

Timely

Let’s break them down.

Specific:

When making your goals, you don’t want something vague like “get in shape.” Vague goals leave too much wiggle room and can be more harmful in the long run.

Instead, get specific with your goals!

Do you want to “get in shape,” or do you want to “lose twenty pounds in three months”?

Is your goal to “read more,” or do you want to “read two books a month?”

Having specific goals will help you focus on the steps needed to make that goal a reality, and it’s easier to plan the future if you know what you want.

Measurable:

If you can’t measure your goals, how do you know when you’ve achieved them? If your goal is to “get in shape,” how do you know when you’ve reached the fitness level of your dreams?

We need to see the milestones. Milestones can motivate us to continue, and if we have no way to see them, we’ll end up quitting before we even begin.

However, if you want to “lose twenty pounds in three months,” you can measure that goal by weighing yourself every other week to see your progress.

It’s an important step that we can’t afford to skip!

Achievable:

How do you plan to accomplish your goal? Are the steps realistic, or are they completely out of your reach? Do you have the time and means to make it work?

If your answer is no, your goal may be too hard to achieve. It’s time to rethink it and find something more attainable because having unachievable goals will only make us frustrated, angry, depressed, and less likely to work on them.

Therefore, make sure your goals are within your reach!

Relevant:

Do your goals matter to you? Do they fit into the life you want to make?

Your goals need to be something YOU want to work on, not anyone else. Don’t lose weight because someone said you should- lose it so you can live your best life!

Don’t go to medical school because your family expects it- find a degree YOU enjoy (like I did with Creative Writing) and chase that dream!

These are YOUR goals, no one else’s, and they should be relevant to what YOU want in your life.

Timely:

When do you want to achieve these goals?

Giving yourself a loose deadline can kick you into gear and help you take the first steps you need to make the goal a reality.

If you want to lose twenty pounds in three months, you’d better start NOW!

If you want to read two books a month, you need to be picking up the first one NOW.

Deadlines aren’t the enemy- procrastination is. So, pick an end date and get going!

Now you know how to be SMART when making goals! By making these SMART goals, we’re giving ourselves room to work on our goals without the pressure of “oh no, I broke my resolution.”

Instead, we can take the small steps we need to achieve our goals and build the lives we’ve always wanted!

So, what are some of your goals for 2022? I’d love to hear them!