As a health and wellness coach, I find the new year makes for an ideal time to look inward to reflect on your past year and plan for the next. Allowing for introspection grants you the opportunity to realign goals and prioritize habits that promote self-growth, work-life balance, and overall well-being. Follow the framework below to jumpstart your success in the new year.
Revisit your goals by thinking back to the beginning of last year and recalling what goals and priorities you set for yourself. My recommendation is that you take time to write them down and record your thoughts about them. Please be sure to give yourself grace. Here are some prompts:
If your goals and priorities no longer align with your current lifestyle, set new SMART goals with the foundation of building healthy habits.
Working towards a goal—large or small—is fulfilling. Using the SMART goal-setting structure will put you on track for getting what you want in life.
SMART is an acronym for five characteristics listed below that are used to help guide your goal setting by creating an action plan. You will be able to create clear, attainable, and meaningful goals that include the support and motivation to achieve your goals. SMART goals are effective in planning both overarching and refined goals.
Overarching goals are set to help a person reach a desired positive outcome. An individual may be focused on having more work-life harmony, being healthier, or living more mindfully. Refined goals are set to achieve specific objectives for a certain part of your life. Setting career goals is an example of a refined goal. These goals can be short-term (e.g., obtaining favorable outcomes in X number of cases) or long-term (e.g., making partner).
Either way, SMART goals must align with your values and priorities.
Follow this SMART guideline to write out your goals.
Specific: Your goals must be clearly defined.
Measurable: Recording data will gauge your progress and provide motivation and accountability.
Achievable: Select goals that are challenging, yet attainable; then develop a clear action plan.
Relevant: Align your goals with your current life circumstances.
Time-Bound: Setting a specific period to accomplish your goals provides you with a North Star that keeps you motivated and forward moving.
When setting your SMART goals, avoid these pitfalls:
1. Being too general or unclear: A well-defined goal will provide you with focused direction.
2. Overlooking measurability: Tracking measurability is a way to stay motivated.
3. Failing to set a time frame: A timeline creates a sense of urgency, which can help maintain momentum.
4. Setting an unrealistic goal: Realize that some large goals may be achieved through a series of small goals.
Habits are routines or behaviors that are repeated with regularity such that they can occur subconsciously. A Medical Research Council study showed that the average amount of time to form a habit was 66 days. Instead of placing a numerical value on it, focus on the fact that the longer you stick with the behavior, the more likely it will become a habit. Note that a negative action or behavior can also become a habit!
Action Item: Make a list of healthy habits that have positively impacted your life over the past year and a list of unwanted habits that you would like to discard. Now make a list of new healthy habits that you would like to add to your list.
Here are some strategies that can help make your new behaviors stick.
Think of your healthy habits as algorithms that operate in your mind’s background to power you toward your goals.
An accountability partner is someone who will keep you motivated. Discuss with your partner your goals and establish a time to check in; you may both use an app with shared access or check in via text, phone, or email on certain days. You may also choose to initiate a firm-wide habits challenge to foster team building.
A personal mantra is a motivational phrase that gives you confidence to keep reaching for your goal. Develop one that resonates with your goal. For example, “I live according to my values and prioritize self-care” could be a mantra for someone whose goal is to focus on their mental and physical well-being.
Stay open to adjusting your goals if circumstances in your life change. Re-evaluate your plan and adapt rather than give up.
Following the SMART goal-setting framework is a powerful strategy for effective goal setting. It will help you create an actionable plan that can lead to meaningful growth in your career and personal development. The SMART goal setting you do today will set you up for success in the new year and many years beyond.
