Habits Vs Goals

How to Set and Achieve Your New Year’s Resolution with S.M.A.R.T. Goals

The New Year is often seen as a fresh start—a time to make big changes and set exciting goals. Whether you’re aiming to be more positive, more disciplined, or just more intentional with your time, your New Year’s resolution is a reflection of what you want to achieve. But here’s the catch: resolutions alone are rarely enough. To truly succeed, you need to focus on building habits that support your goals.

The Power of Habit

Think about your favorite athlete. Whether it's a football kicker, a baseball pitcher, or a tennis pro, they all have one thing in common: they didn’t get to the top of their game by wishing for it. They put in the work. For them, showing up to practice every single day isn’t optional—it’s a habit that builds the foundation for success. Similarly, to achieve your own goals, you need to create habits that will help you move closer to your desired outcome.

That’s where the S.M.A.R.T. goal framework comes in. It’s a simple, effective method for turning your resolutions into achievable milestones.

Getting S.M.A.R.T with Your Resolution

Let’s break it down:

1. Specific:
   Make your goal clear and focused. Instead of saying, “I want to be more positive,” make it more actionable. For example, "I want to spend more time with myself to reflect and become more positive."
   To do that, you might decide to start reading 10 pages every day to create time for reflection and growth.

2. Measurable:
   You need a way to track your progress. This makes your goal feel less abstract and helps keep you accountable. If your goal is to read more, use an app like GoodReads to track how many pages you read each day. You could also set a target like “10 pages per day” and measure how consistently you hit that target.

3. Attainable:
   Be realistic. Consider potential obstacles that could get in the way. Time is often the biggest hurdle. Will you have enough time each day to read? Is 10 pages manageable with your current schedule? Be honest with yourself and adjust if needed. It’s better to start small and scale up as you build the habit.

4. Relevant:
   Is your goal meaningful to you? It’s important to understand why your resolution matters. In this case, taking time for yourself to read and reflect could be a great way to cultivate a positive mindset in a busy world. This time helps you pause, reset, and gain perspective on your goals, relationships, and challenges.

5. Time-bound:
   Set a timeframe. Without a clear deadline, it’s easy to put things off indefinitely. If your goal is to read more, set a target like “I want to read one book per month” and make sure that your daily habit of reading 10 pages is aligned with this time frame.

Today’s Challenge: Create Your Own S.M.A.R.T. Goal

Now it’s your turn! Think about ONE of your New Year’s Resolutions. Perhaps it’s something big, like getting healthier, or something more personal, like practicing mindfulness. Whatever it is, use the S.M.A.R.T. framework to clarify your goal and map out a plan to achieve it.

• Specific: What exactly do you want to achieve?

• Measurable: How will you track your progress?

• Attainable: Is it realistic within your current lifestyle?

• Relevant: Why is this goal important to you?

• Time-bound: What’s your deadline?

Remember, the key to success lies in consistency. Just like your favorite athlete practices every day, you need to show up for yourself and put in the work, step by step.

Start small, stay consistent, and watch your resolution transform from a distant dream to a powerful habit that drives your success all year long!

Let’s do this! What’s your S.M.A.R.T. goal for 2025? Share it with me, and let’s hold each other accountable.