We’ve all made New Year’s resolutions, but most of us struggle to stick to them for the whole year. This year, when you’re making your list (and maybe even checking it twice), you can set “SMART” goals to create an effective plan for success. 

SMART goals

It can be hard to achieve all of the goals we lay out for ourselves. Oftentimes, we overestimate how many things we can do at once, or we just don’t plan ahead very thoroughly. Over 80% of New Year’s resolutions end up not getting accomplished, but it doesn’t always have to be this way! SMART is an acronym that is used to create (you guessed it!) smart goals. Using this acronym can help you be successful when creating goals and New Year’s resolutions. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

How can you use SMART goal setting?

You can use SMART goal setting for any goal, whether that’s personal or professional. Let’s say you want to set a New Year’s resolution of “I want to support my community,” as an example. Although this is a great idea, how can you make sure that you will stick to it? Let’s build this into a SMART goal by making it…

Specific

Make sure your goal is clearly defined and understood. It should not be vague. 

To make “I want to support my community” specific, it can be changed to:

“I want to regularly donate to a local cause.”

Measurable

You should be able to easily track your progress. Adding numbers to your goal can make it quantifiable and therefore more attainable.

To make “I want to regularly donate to a local cause” measurable, it can be changed to:

“I want to donate 10 times to a local cause.”

Achievable 

If you want to successfully reach your goal, it should be something that is reasonable and sustainable. Ambition is a great thing, but to be successful you must also be rational! 

To make “I want to donate 10 times to a local cause” achievable, it can be changed to:

“I want to donate $20, 10 times to a local cause.”

Relevant

Your goals should be important to you. You are much more likely to succeed if you’re passionate about your goals and are able to remain motivated.

To make “I want to donate $20, 10 times to a local cause” relevant, it can be changed to:

“I want to donate $20, 10 times to a local cause that means something to me.”

Time-Bound

Your goal should have a deadline. This is what New Year’s resolutions are all about, since they are usually meant to be achieved by the end of the year. 

To make “I want to donate $20, 10 times to a local cause that means something to me” time-bound, it can be changed to:

“I want to donate $20, 10 times to a local cause that means something to me by the end of 2024.”

By implementing SMART goals, we were able to turn: 

“I want to support my community.”

into:

“I want to donate $20, 10 times to a local cause that means something to me by the end of 2024.”

This goal is much more meaningful than the one we started with. It is something that can be planned ahead into your year instead of having an arbitrary goal that would be floating above your head, inevitably to be forgotten. When you’re creating your own SMART New Year’s resolutions this year, consider ways in which you can help others in 2024 for an added boost of personal health and happiness.

Happy New Year! Wishing the best of luck as you create and achieve your SMART resolutions.

Sources:

The Ultimate Guide to S.M.A.R.T. Goals – Forbes Advisor

SMART Goals - How to Make Your Goals Achievable (mindtools.com)

A New Year’s resolution to make a difference: Help others. - Big Think

About the author: Lauryn Raff is a Social Media Intern at Lifelong Access. She is also a senior undergraduate student at Illinois State University obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Integrated Marketing Communications. Lauryn has a passion for all things creative and hopes to use this quality along with her dedicated studies to make the world a better place. 

The views expressed are Lauryn's and do not necessarily represent the official views of Lifelong Access.