January 12-16, 2009 Week 2 : Getting Started

Create a SMART Goal

In order to succeed, you must create a goal that is SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Without these five elements, success can be very elusive.

Specific refers to choosing something that you can pin down. When we create a vague goal, we set ourselves up for failure because we’re never quite sure when we’ve crossed the finish line. So be sure to create something as specific. For instance, “Learning how to say no,” rather than “getting better boundaries.” “Take one weekend day every month to myself” rather than “make time for myself.”

Measurable means just that—capable of being measured. People come to me all the time wanting “more”: “more patience,” “more time with kids,” “more happiness.” I always say in response, “as measured by what?” Measurement is crucial because it makes your progress visible. Without it, it’s easy to feel like you haven’t gotten anywhere or to exaggerate in your own mind how far you’ve come. It is possible to create a measurement for anything. I’ve just worked with a client to create a measure for finding a new relationship. He’s going to track the number of conversations with new women per week.

In thinking about measurement, it helps to understand that it can be external—pounds, dollars, days, lower blood pressure, etc.--or internal—a sense of inner ease or peace, greater energy or excitement. The numbers for the first category are obvious. When you’re measuring something internal, you need to put it on a scale, for instance -5 to +5, with -5 being the worst you ever felt and +5 being the best.

Imagine that you want to be able to be more tolerant of your in-laws. First you’d notice what your exasperation number is right now. You might say, -4. You decide that your measure of success will be getting that number to +3, feeling much more calm in your body. That way you’ll know when you can declare success — when you’ve gotten to +3 when around your in-laws.

Achievable means being realistic. Despite what magazine tabloids promise, you’re not going to lose 25 pounds in a week. Don’t set yourself up for failure by trying something that’s just not possible. Look at your life and decide what you can reasonably do.

Relevant means something that matters to you. As I wrote in Week 1, if you don’t have a strong feeling reason for doing this thing, it’s too easy to drop it. 

Time-bound refers to creating an end point. This gives you something to aim for. Even if this is something you’re planning on doing forever, it helps to put a time boundary around it so that it doesn’t feel so overwhelming. Then when you get to the “end,” you can sign on again.

To Try: It’s time for you to make a SMART goal to bring your intention into action. Here’s an example: I will exercise 30 minutes a day for a month.

Ready to get started? Post your intent and find community support and content to help you achieve it!

Adapted from This Year I Will...: How to Finally Change a Habit, Keep a Resolution, or Make a Dream Come True