“A goal without a plan is only a dream.” — Brian Tracy

Do you ever feel like you start off the year with great resolutions and intentions, only to run out of steam rather quickly? New Year’s resolutions are notorious for being difficult to stick to, and here’s why: People often try to change too much at once, and it gets overwhelming.

As we know, building a new habit takes time, and without a real action plan, a new goal can seem more like a distant dream. “Eat healthier” and “go to the gym more” are some of the biggest culprits here.

What’s the issue with these goals? They’re vague and easy to dismiss. So how can we make them better and break them down? Get specific and hold yourself accountable by using a tool known as SMART goals!

What Are SMART Goals?

SMART goals are:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Achievable
  • Relevant
  • Time-Bound

These types of goals are very detailed and leave less room for interpretation than general goals. Instead of “go to the gym more,” a SMART goal might be “go to the gym for 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week for 6 months.”

When you have specific goals combined with a time frame to meet those goals, you’re much more likely to take action and stick with it (1).

Creating SMART Goals

How do we set a SMART goal? Let’s start from the beginning.

  • Specific: What exactly are you trying to do?
  • Measurable: How will you track progress towards the goal?
  • Achievable: Are you biting off more than you can chew?
  • Relevant: How does this goal align with my values?
  • Time-Bound: What is your time frame or deadline for achieving your goal?

If your overall goal was to eat healthier, you could follow the SMART framework to turn that general goal into a specific and actionable goal.

You could be specific and set the goal to prepare 5 dinners each week from the EatLove operating system. You could track your progress by logging the meals in your EatLove food log. Maybe you realize that 5 dinners each week just isn’t feasible, so you could adjust to 3 dinners per week. Finally, you could decide to continue this goal for the next 3 months.

Following the SMART framework allows you to turn “eat healthier” into a goal of preparing 3 dinner meals each week from the EatLove platform for the next 3 months.

Once you come up with your SMART goal, write it down! A study from the Dominican University of California showed three factors helped individuals stick to their goals (2):

  1. Accountability: This is what your EatLove coach is here for!
  2. Public commitment: Share your goals with friends and loved ones
  3. Writing down goals: Use a journal to keep track of your goals or write your goals on a piece of paper taped to the fridge so you’re reminded of them often

Connecting Goals to Your “Why”

In a previous article, we talked about how your “why” is your intrinsic motivation. This type of motivation is what drives you to keep going as you work towards your SMART goal.

Finding your “why” is a very personal process. What changes do you want to make, and why do you want to make these changes? What are your values and priorities in life? How will making these changes align with your values and improve your life?

These are all important questions to consider when you’re trying to change a behavior. By finding the most meaningful reason behind your desire to change, you’ll be more committed and motivated to continue to work towards that SMART goal of yours.

But it’s important to remember that goals don’t mean anything unless you put action behind it. We’ll talk more about this idea in our next article, so stay tuned.

ASK YOURSELF THIS:

What is your “why”? Keep asking yourself “why” questions until you get down to the deepest, most personal level of why you want to change. Do you want to feel healthier? Why do you want to feel healthier? Do you want to live longer? Why do you want to live longer? What are the benefits of making these changes? Maybe you have loved ones who you want to be able to exercise with, or you want to set a good example for your children. Whatever the reason, use your “why” as your guiding light throughout your journey.

TRY THIS:

Set 1 health-related SMART goal for the week.

Here’s an example of a SMART goal for meal planning: Every Saturday morning, choose 1 recipe from EatLove to batch prep. Using the grocery list feature, tailor your weekly grocery list and buy the groceries needed. (Psst: EatLove lets you order your groceries through Amazon Fresh or Instacart to get the ingredients delivered to your door. Then, batch prep the recipe by the end of the weekend to use as lunches during the workweek.)