New Year Resolution - Goal Setting
First off, Happy New Year to every one of you who is taking the time to read this. Words simply cannot capture enough how grateful I am for all of your support over the course of 2020.
For many, the year 2020 has been a year filled with grief, sadness and disappointment. Difficulties ranging from unemployment, social isolation and loneliness to losing a loved one are challenges not uncommon to a number of my clients. Emotional rollercoaster was simply an understated term.
Now that we have officially stepped into the very first day of 2021, I certainly hope the year 2021 will bring a greater amount of joy and positivity to all. With a new beginning, this also means setting new year’s resolutions. One of the biggest challenges I have noticed over the years is that goals achievement dwindles following a month or two after New Year. Why that may be the case is a question of interest.
Factors I have identified over the years working with a number of clients may include:
· Not knowing how to achieve the goals set out
· Lack of self-compassion or perfectionism (unrealistic timeline in achieving the goal)
· Uncertain as to what goals to set for the year
In this blog, I want to take the time to introduce S.M.A.R.T Goal that I often encourage clients to practice when they first set out goals or changes they want to see reflected in their lives:
Example Goal: Wanting to obtain a driver’s license within this year.
S = Specific. Goals that are less ambiguous and more specific have a greater chance of being accomplished. In the example above, breaking down the goal further might look like this: “I would require to purchase the driver’s handbook and practice driving a minimum of three times per week”.
M = Measurable. In order for us to evaluate how we are progressing in our goal, we must identify criteria to measure it. Important questions we need to ask ourselves include: (1) What are the indicators of progress and (2) How would we know we have successfully reached the goal? Drawing from the example above, a measurable way of redefining the goal could look like: “I would require to purchase the driver’s handbook by February of 2021 and practice driving a minimum of three times per week. Every two weeks, I plan on practicing a new skill”.
A = Achievable. This seeks to ask ourselves how realistic and attainable the goal we set out to be. Ideally, the goal we set for ourselves should challenge us to step out of our comfort zone while still be defined enough that we are confident in our abilities to achieve it.
R = Realistic. Though during times like stepping into a new year often motivates people to make positive changes and setting goals for the year ahead, it Is also important that the goals we identify can be realistically met based on the available resources and time that we have. In the hypothetical example above where the individual is hoping to obtain their driver’s license this year, if they identify wanting to complete studying the driver’s handbook and acquiring the skills to an adequate degree before February of 2021 and at the same time balancing school, part-time work, the timeline may not be realistic.
T = Timely. A goal must be time-bound so that a start date and finish date. Setting a realistic timeline on our goals often keeps us accountable to complete them. Once again, using the example above: “I would require to purchase the driver’s handbook by February of 2021 and practice driving a minimum of three times per week. Every two weeks, I plan on practicing a new skill. By June of 2021, I aim to complete my G1 examination and will schedule for my G1 Road Examination towards February of 2022”.