According to an IPSOS Reid Poll, an average of 77% of Canadians make resolutions each new year. Despite that, it’s no surprise that an average of only 22% of people report being successful in maintaining their resolutions throughout the year –but why? Part of it may be that we just haven’t learned how to set goals very effectively –many of our goals are either unattainable, unrealistic, or we are not paying enough attention to what and who we need in the process to be successful.
Easy to remember and work with, the S-M-A-R-T model is a sure-fire way to strengthen your goal setting. We wish we could take credit for inventing this genius way to improve goal setting, but it came out in the 80’s and has been used consistently for personal goal setting, project management, and education ever since.
One of the most useful techniques from this model is to think about whether or not your goal can answer the 5 W questions. Whether it is a New Year’s Resolution or not, think: What is the goal? When do you want to achieve it by? Why do you want to accomplish it? Whose help do you need to get there? Where will you work towards accomplishing your goal?
To improve the likelihood of being successful at your goals, you might want to think about the following ideas next time you’re setting one:
Specific: All goals need to be specific. If they’re not, how will you know when you get there? So, instead of saying, “I am going to lose weight this year,” you may want to think about setting something more specific –how much do you want to lose? If you want to meet new people this year or try new activities, be specific. Where will you meet people? What types of people do you want to meet? What new activities do you want to try? Being as specific as possible is the first step in being more successful in reaching your goals.
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Attainable: Setting goals that you can reach is critical. We have likely all experienced the disappointment from not accomplishing something we set out to. Maybe we bit off a bigger piece than we could chew. Setting a goal that is lofty and ambitious can be an inspiring challenge, but could also lead to disappointment. As you’re gaining confidence in setting goals and reaching them, think: baby steps!
Realistic: Is your goal possible? Is it likely that you will be able to accomplish it? Thinking about these questions can also help.
Time Sensitive: Setting a realistic and concrete time-frame and sticking to it is another crucial piece that will keep you accountable and make you more likely to achieve what you’re setting out to. Replace words like soon, down-the-road, or in the next few months with time frames that have specific dates attached for example: in 3 weeks, by May 15th, or in 6 months.
The key here is finding what works…for you! Other people find that the buddy system works well for them. Having a friend working on the same goal at the same time can transform something onerous and unenjoyable into fun, quality time. Going to the gym three days a week early in the morning can be far less torturous…with a friend! Another common tip is speaking or writing your goals down. Ideas can become transformed when we put them to paper or discuss them with people we trust.
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What else works for you?
