Mental Health Matters

Making SMART goals for success in 2021

By Derran Heney

“Oftentimes the New Year’s resolutions we make start off well intentioned, but tend to fall by the wayside as the months progress.”

Photo Credit: Pixabay

“A goal without a plan is just

a wish” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1943.

It’s that time of year again, when we start to think about how we imagine a new year to be. Oftentimes the New Year’s resolutions we make start off well intentioned, but tend to fall by the wayside as the months progress. Motivation often starts at an all-time high and then frustratingly settles to that neutral point we were at before we made the goals. So how come some people are able to easily achieve their goal, keeping their motivation balanced?

Research has shown that successful people tend to have certain habits that ensure their success. Their progress is possibly best described by the old saying; ‘slow and steady wins the race’ – meaning to make smaller, more achievable goals, and review them regularly. By setting these goals, motivation is kept at an even level and reached more easily. This is better than doing a nose dive and feeling defeated because of setting a goal too high, too big or too unrealistically.

It is good to recognise and remember that reaching our goals is a progressive task, and to work out a method of keeping motivation high through the long haul. For more tips on habits of successful people, view video

https://youtu.be/MCjJ2-fhYcU

Making a list of what we achieved through 2020 is a good place to start. This acknowledges the changes that we have made and helps to pinpoint goals that are still requiring our attention.

Making our goals SMART is part of the plan for success. I will explain what the SMART acronym, created by George Doran (1981), stands for.

S is Specific

M is Measurable

A is Achievable

R is Relevant

T is Time bound

Let’s look at each of these a little more.

Specific

Being specific is about drilling down and being specific with the detail about what you want to achieve (the end goal) and how. It’s good to be able to

answer the what, where, when, who and why type of questions. Jot down your ideas as a record of what you want to accomplish specifically and how. Does this overall goal then need to be broken up into small achievable steps to keep motivation and the sense of achievement high? What and who do you need to achieve your goals in terms of resources, people, funds and equipment, and what is the purpose of the goal; is it a stepping stone to a larger goal?

Measurable

Measuring successes is a numbers. By setting desirable targets, your goals become reachable and provide a guideline as you find yourself heading to the finish line.

Achievable

Reaching a sense of achievement is about setting goals that are attainable and easily met, rather than goals that lose their appeal quickly because they are too unrealistic to begin with. This is why making smaller, more achievable goals is preferred over making ones that have you feeling like a failure. Having a whiteboard or diary to check off your achievements is also helpful, allowing you to track your progress and see when it’s time to move onto the next target.

Relevant

Understanding relevance is about making sure that the goal you set is relevant to your life, your vision and what you desire to achieve. If the goal is not relevant, it can be easy for the wheels to fall off along the way and the wagon’s momentum and potential to be lost.

“Celebrate and acknowledge your milestones. Some people find they achieve better results with a reward when nearing their goal…”

Time Bound

Time bound means setting a specific (realistic) date to complete a goal. This is the best way to measure progress.

“Jot down your ideas as a record of what you want to accomplish specifically and how.”

Tips for success

• Make sure that regular checking in with progress and reflecting on your goals becomes a habit. It may be that the steps you have identified to reach your goal need modifying. It is very important to review and monitor progress made, and identify any areas requiring improvement.

• Celebrate and acknowledge your milestones. Some people find they achieve better results with a reward when nearing their goal, so that could be something to build into your success plan for 2021.

• Visualise yourself achieving your goals often and what it would look or feel like to make these changes. How would these change your life?

• Make your goal setting fun! This keeps initiative and drive to achieve at a high.

Remember to keep the vision alive. Good luck towards achieving your dreams in 2021.

To find out more about SMART goals, please view: https://

youtu.be/PCRSVRD2EAk

Derran is available for massage therapy, Reiki, and mental health support and counselling.