New Years Resolutions: Setting SMART Goals

Happy New Year! With a new year often comes a desire for some New Year’s resolutions. Many of us try to start the year off with positive intentions- perhaps to work out more, to eat healthier, or to spend more time with family and friends. While creating goals is a great thing, there are more and less helpful ways to set these goals- and this is exactly what I’ll be talking about in today’s blog post.

Goal setting serves several important functions. First, setting goals can improve our focus and performance at work, as well as in our personal lives (Van Yperen et al., 2015). Goal setting can also increase our motivation and feelings of autonomy (Winkens & Hamstra, 2024). In addition, setting and achieving goals can increase our satisfaction and self-confidence related to the task at hand, leading to better overall psychological and physical wellbeing (Puente‐Díaz, 2011).

However, not all goal setting is equally effective. How many times have you heard someone say their New Year’s resolution is to “eat healthier.” What does eating healthier mean though, and how will this person know if they have achieved their goal? Research shows that setting broad  or unrealistic goals does not necessarily lead to successful outcomes (Clough et al., 2021). One way to increase the likelihood of engaging in our goals is by setting SMART goals. SMART is an acronym that is useful to help set goals that outline what is expected and help determine if the goal is achieved and completed successfully.

A SMART goal is:

Specific ("Who?” and “What?”): Explicit and well defined

Measurable (“How?”): Clear marker of progress towards achieving the goal

Achievable (“Can I?”): Realistic goals that are attainable based on one’s means and ability

Relevant (“Makes Sense?”): Fit within one’s overall life goals/expectations for oneself

Time-Bound (“When?”): Clear day/time or deadline date

Examples:

Not a SMART goal:

•  To work out more

Does not identify a measurement or time frame, why the goal is needed or how it will be reached.

SMART goal:

• Starting this Monday, I plan to go to the gym on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 7am. I will spend an hour at the gym and will do 30 minutes of cardio on the treadmill and 30 minutes of weights. I will set a reminder the evening before and put my shoes by the door.

This goal will be attainable/relevant based on one’s own prior experiences.

In addition to setting SMART goals, it is also important to discuss the concept of motivation. Many of us have said at one point in our lives that we will do something as soon as we feel motivated. However, we often don’t spontaneously feel motivated. This is a particular challenge for those struggling with depression, as depression is often accompanied by decreased interest and lack of motivation. 

One of the most empirically supported treatments for depression is an intervention called behavioral activation (Kanter et al., 2010). Behavioral activation emphasizes that action must actually precede motivation. It’s like the Nike slogan “Just Do It!” We have to find ways to slowly engage in activities, as over time the action in and of itself will be reinforcing and will lead to increased motivated.

This notion can also apply to individuals who are not struggling with depression. In line with setting SMART goals, it is important to start small, rather than large. We can always increase our goals, however we tend to feel more motivated when we reach a goal, rather than set too high of a goal and feel like we have failed. This is not to say that we shouldn't try to push ourselves, rather as goal setting is very individual, it is important to think about what is attainable for yourself. Reaching a goal will be reinforcing and will motivate us to continue to set larger goals.

So, what are some SMART goals you can set for yourself starting today? How can you remind yourself to engage in an activity, when the motivation is not there? Whether it is putting your shoes by the door the night before the gym, setting reminders on your phone, putting activities in your calendar or sticky notes on your mirror or fridge, the hardest part is often just getting started. Happy goal setting and Happy New Year!!

References

Clough, P., Strycharczyk, D., & Perry, J. L. (2021). Developing mental toughness: Strategies to improve performance, resilience and wellbeing in individuals and organizations. Kogan Page.

Kanter, J.W., Manos, R.C., Bowe, W. M., Baruch, D. E., Busch, A. W. and Rusch, L.C. (2010). What is behavioral activation? A review of the empirical literature. Clinical Psychology Review. 30(6), 608-620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.04.001.

Van Yperen, N. W., Blaga, M., & Postmes, T. (2015). A meta-analysis of the impact of situationally induced achievement goals on task performance. Human Performance, 28(2), 165–182. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959285.2015.1006772.

Winkens, J., & Hamstra, M. R. W. (2024). Does encouraging mastery goals benefit performance in a scoring exercise? It may depend on chronic self‐adopted achievement goals. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 65(2), 339–345. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12979.