Have you set your SMART Goals? – Metamorphose Counselling

Making Your Goals Achievable

The phenomenon of using the month of January as a marker for change is well-documented, and according to Psychology Today, well-advised. Why?

When it comes to goal making, each new year brings a new opportunity. Apparently, the beginning of designated time periods provides a great opportunity to reinvest in goals, because they provide at least a temporary boost in willpower.

A study by Hengchen Dai et al. (2014) entitled “The Fresh Start Effect” shows that temporal landmarks, such as a new year, month, birthday, or even academic semester, create new “mental accounting periods,” which serve multiple purposes, including creating distance between the present and the past and prompting a broader life view. They note that new mental accounting periods set apart by temporal landmarks provide psychological distance from a person’s past imperfections, encouraging them to tailor their behavior to match their new, positive self-image.

The authors also note that temporal landmarks break up the daily routine, giving people a chance to regard a “big-picture view” of their lives, which in turn can enable them to devote more time and effort into achieving their goals.

How are you feeling about your goals? Feeling on track? Or, are you feeling a little lost? Maybe you aren’t as consistent as you thought you’d be. Well, good news, it’s not too late.

SMART Goals
How to Make your Goals Achievable

SMART Goals are great to have. They take something that is important to you and make it tangible. These goals can clarify your ideas, focus your efforts, use your time and resources productively, and increase your chances of achieving what you want in life. They can also help create a sense of accountability and allow you to assess the progress you’re making along the way.

So what does SMART stand for?

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Realistic

Timely

Specific SMART Goals

Goals that are specific have a significantly greater chance of being accomplished. To make a goal specific, the five “W” questions must be considered:

Who: Who is involved in this goal?
What: What do I want to accomplish?
Where: Where is this goal to be achieved?
When: When do I want to achieve this goal?
Why: Why do I want to achieve this goal?

Measurable SMART Goals

A SMART goal must have criteria for measuring progress. If there are no criteria, you will not be able to determine your progress and if you are on track to reach your goal. To make a goal measurable, ask yourself:

How many/much?
How do I know if I have reached my goal?
What is my indicator of progress?

Achievable SMART Goals

A SMART goal must be achievable and attainable. This will help you figure out ways you can realize that goal and work towards it. The achievability of the goal should be stretched to make you feel challenged, but defined well enough that you can actually achieve it. Ask yourself:

Do I have the resources and capabilities to achieve the goal? If not, what am I missing?
Have others done it successfully before?

Realistic SMART Goals

A SMART goal must be realistic in that the goal can be realistically achieved given the available resources and time. A SMART goal is likely realistic if you believe that it can be accomplished. Ask yourself:

Is the goal realistic and within reach?
Is the goal reachable, given the time and resources?
Are you able to commit to achieving the goal?

Timely SMART Goals

A SMART goal must be time-bound in that it has a start and finish date. If the goal is not time-constrained, there will be no sense of urgency and, therefore, less motivation to achieve the goal. Ask yourself: