This is part 3 of the 5 part series on goal setting. You can find Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE.

We have now completed the first major part of creating a year of success. We reflected on this past year and our past as a whole. If you missed it make sure you do the reflection part first, because setting goals will not be as successful without the reflection.

Now, we are starting our journey into writing goals for this next year and today we are going to do that by learning about SMART goals and why they may be a game changer for you.

SMART goals stands for Specific, Measureable, Action Based, Realistic, and Time Bound.

As an occupational therapist I have spent a lot of time learning about goal writing for patients and clients. SMART goals are the type of structured goals that one may write for a therapy client, because it is a clear way to make sure you are writing a goal that you can actually achieve. I know you want to achieve your goals so please consider giving this a shot.

To make sure your goal is SPECIFIC you will want to make sure you can answer these questions:

1. Who is involved?
2. What is the end result?
3. Where is it going to happen?
4. When is it going to happen?
5. BONUS – Why is it important?

An example of a non specific goal would be “Lose weight.”

An example of a specific goal would be “I will go to yoga class twice a week in order to reduce fat and gain muscle so that I can feel stronger and sexier.”

To make sure your goal is MEASURABLE you will want to make sure you can answer the question “How will I know if I achieved the goal?”

An example of a non measurable goal would be “Learn Spanish.”

An example of a measureable goal would be “Achieve 100% fluency in Spanish on the Doulingo App.”

To make sure your goal is ACTION BASED you will want to answer these questions:

1. Do I know what actions I need to take to achieve this goal?
2. Am I relying on luck or other people to obtain this goal?

You will want to make sure you are in complete control of your goal. If you are relying on other people’s actions or luck then your goal in not action based because the control is not in your hands.

To make sure your goal is REALISTIC you will want to answer these questions:

1. Am I willing to put the work in on this goal?
2. Do I believe I am capable of achieving this goal in the timeline I allotted?

Whether or not a goal is realistic varies greatly on the individual person. Only you can truly know if you are willing and able to put in the work it takes to achieve the desired outcome.

To make sure your goal is TIME BOUND you will want to make sure there is a clear timeline for you to achieve your goal. This could be that you want to complete your goal in one year, 6 months, or 2 days. The timeline doesn’t matter as long as it makes sense for your goal and your life.

I would love to hear what SMART goals you came up with in the comments below.

Next week we will look move into what will make these goals really achievable. 

And, if you want to go even deeper into goal setting for the new year then join me for the free New Years Mini Series.

Much love, Danielle