Getting SMART With Your Goals

 

Reaching our goals and crossing items off our to-do lists creates confidence and motivation to continue working hard and gaining the things we desire.  Some of the important goals we set involve bettering our mental health, keeping our physical bodies healthy, making time for mindfulness, and getting tasks done around the house.  The problem we run into with goal setting is maintaining the drive to accomplish them.  It is easy to make a list of things we would like to do, but it is difficult to figure out how to get them done with no plan.  When it comes to setting goals and actually reaching them, using the SMART goals framework is the secret key to success.  SMART goals give a sense of structure and motivation when it comes to getting important tasks done and reaching long and short-term goals.  SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.  

Determining why you want to reach a goal is the first step.  Is this a goal that you feel connected to, and therefore you are willing to put in the work to get there?  Is it specific, so you know exactly what you want?  Next, decide if this goal is attainable and realistic to know you are not setting yourself up for failure.  Remember it is ok to start small if that is what you need to start.  If your goal is to work on physical health and you want to lose 25 pounds, you can make your goal more attainable and stay motivated by working in increments of 5 pounds.  When you start seeing progress and hitting smaller goals, you build your confidence and see that it is possible.  You have a higher chance of staying motivated and being genuinely excited to keep going when you see yourself reaching those smaller milestones.

When creating SMART goals, it is necessary to know how you are going to know you are at your goal!  There should be a source of information to measure or determine whether a goal has been achieved.  The M in SMART is a direct indicator of success for this goal.  Remember, some goals take longer than others, so choosing the right measurements matters.

Have a goal but aren’t sure how to reach it?  Follow this template to make it a SMART goal.  Still not sure how to get started? 

Connect with a provider at RIVIA Mind to get support in setting and reaching meaningful goals.