With the arrival of the New Year
everyone has at least one resolution in mind.
However as the year goes on most people have either giving up their
resolution all together or they have changed it to better fit their more
realistic needs. I’m not trying to deter you from change I’m trying to get you
to understand that the problem isn’t the resolution the problem is the plan. I
recently learned about something called a S.M.A.R.T Goal and while I’m a be
honest in saying I hated learning it at the time, when I sat down to really
think about all the things I failed to complete the lesson wasn’t so bad. What
I learned is that in order to ensure that I achieved my goal I had to have more
than the goal itself. It’s not even that you need a plan because everyone has a
plan. Your success lies in details. And that’s where the S.M.A.R.T goal comes
into place.
S. Specific. This is the
easiest of the steps for me because it is being clear about what you want. It
doesn’t really matter if you goal is to stop smoking, start working out, find a
better job or become more socially active. It’s your goal and it’s important
because it’s the thing that you want to change/achieve for yourself.
M. Measurable. This is the
part of the goal that lets you know you are your on the right path. Let's just
say your goal is to become healthy. The measurable part would be in saying that
you are going to progress from being able to exercise for 30 minutes to an
hour. This is also the step that you
need to focus on what it is you already have to help you towards your goal. If
you already have a gym membership or if you have videos or cookbooks.
A. Attainable. Measuring
something and having it be attainable are completely different even though on
the surface they look the same. When you’re making sure that it’s attainable
you need to make sure anything needed for your goal to succeed is available.
For example if you say you want to get in shape within 6 months you need to
make sure that you have a workout routine in place or time to actually spend in
the gym. For me this is the most important step because it’s the one that can
either make or break you success.
R. Relevant. Making sure your
goal is relevant to your life is the step that helps motivate you to stick with
it. When ever you feel like giving up all you have to do is think back to why
it was important to start in the first place. No more how small or big your
goal is you had a personal reason for starting it and it's best to keep it in
your mind.
T. Time Bound. Setting a
realistic time for your goal to be completed. I say realistic because I have
seen some people say that they went to jump from a size 20 to a size 6 in 5
months. I understand that there are some extreme ways that that could happen
however you want to make sure that you set a time frame that is safe and allows
room for minor set backs. Factor in what's needed and if you need to set
smaller goals inside your overall goal to keep you on track. An example could be
decreasing your cigarette intake by 2 every month. With an over all goal of
quitting within 6 months.
So that's the S.M.A.R.T Goal. I know
that this article is all about breaking the New Year's resolution curse but
this model can be applied to anything in your life. No matter what you wish to
accomplish I wish you much success.
Priscilla D Robinson is the
Author of Love's Moodswings: The Discovery, the Choice, and the Surrender to
Love. Her debut book is a collection of three short stories that focus on different
forms of love. Recently she began the task of writing down what her mind showed
her and thus began her writing journey. When she is not off in a dream world
she lives in Connecticut with her daughter. Robinson is currently a student at
the University of Bridgeport for a bachelor's degree in Human Service. Her favorite
saying is “the sky is always purple
somewhere in the world” which means anything is possible if you know where to look
for it.
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