How to Set Achievable Goals in the New Year

• Specific: What are the nitty-gritty details of your goal? Are there additional resources you have (or may need) to get the job done?
• Measurable: How can you evaluate progress toward this goal? How will you know when you’ve reached the finish line?
• Attainable: Can you reach this goal within the boundaries that you’ve set for yourself? Are there things you can do to make it more realistic? If not, you may want to consider setting a new goal for yourself.
• Relevant: Does this goal align with your personal values?
• Time-bound: How long will it take you to get the results you want?

A SMART goal could be something like the following: Reduce the stress and anxiety I feel on a daily basis, especially during my working hours, by practicing meditation and journaling.

Here’s what makes it SMART:

• I have resources like this app, where I can use the instant-play meditations.
• I plan to work up to a consistent mindfulness meditation and gratitude journaling practice that lasts for 20 minutes every morning after I wake up.
• To make sure it’s doable, I'll try it once a week, and once I've done that consistently for two weeks, I'll add an additional day into my regimen.
• I want to be more relaxed and focused at work, which aligns with my personal mission to be a positive and happy person.
• To make sure I can complete it in a specific time frame, I'll work on this goal for the next three months. Then, I’ll be able to integrate it into my daily routine from there.

How to Make Your SMART Goals More Meaningful

Following a SMART framework is a great way to make sure your goals are within reach; however, you’ll also want to make sure what you set out to achieve both holds meaning for you and allows you to be compassionate toward yourself. Here are six tips to set goals with intention and grace:

1. Aim to set goals that match your deeper values. For example, you may set a goal to go for a run one additional time each week because you have a long-held dream to someday complete a marathon. Believe it or not, your personal hopes and beliefs can play a key role in goal motivation and focus.
2. Set new goals—or put a fresh spin on old aspirations that are still important to you. Be sure you're focusing on the current conditions of your life and the desires you have for the new year when breaking down the SMART aspects of your new (or recycled) goals.
3. Set goals that you want to pursue rather than those you think you should be pursuing. To tell the difference, take some time to think through why the goal is important to you and how it fits into your larger purpose or vision for yourself.
4. Be flexible. If the goal you set for yourself seems difficult, reassess and see whether you can tackle it from a different angle—or whether it’s still worth pursuing.
5. Learn from past mistakes. Instead of berating yourself for not achieving a certain goal, think through why it wasn’t in the cards for you. Then, you can consider applying different strategies and enlist help where needed.
6. Limit yourself to setting three to five goals that have shorter time frames.

We hope these strategies will be helpful as you reminisce on the year behind you and look forward to the exciting opportunities that await you in the year ahead. The worksheet below can help you focus on the positive and reflect without dwelling on past regrets as you set new goals for January and beyond.

GOAL REFLECTION AND PLANNING FOR THE NEW YEAR

Name: Date:

Reflection on the Past Year

Three things that went well:

1.

2.

3.

Three things that I am proud of:

1.

2.

3.

Three things that I am grateful for:

1.

2.

3.

Three things that are still important to me:

1.

2.

3.

New Year Goal Planning

My overall mission for the coming year:

The three most important values in my life are:

1.

2.

3.

My three most important goals are:

1.

2.

3.

SMART Goal 1 Framework

Specific:

Measureable:

Attainable:

Relevant:

Time-bound:

SMART Goal 2 Framework

Specific:

Measureable:

Attainable:

Relevant:

Time-bound:

SMART Goal 3 Framework

Specific:

Measureable:

Attainable:

Relevant:

Time-bound:

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