SMART Goals ~ What they are and how to set them

This blog should be taken as psychoeducation only. It is not a replacement for therapy. This blog is research based but is written and maintained by non-therapeutic staff.

Before I start this blog post, I want to make something clear: it is a-okay if you do not want to set goals, intentions, resolutions, focus words or anything else this year. The purpose of this post is not to encourage you or pressure you into setting goals if that's not your thing. I get it. I osciliate between setting goals and avoiding it like the plague. However, if you do want to set goals, this post includes tips to make them more achievable.

Statistics show us that approximately 9% of Americans that set resolutions keep them throughout the year; 25% are still committed at the end of January. I'm no mathematician, but those odds aren't ~amazing~. There's multiple reasons new years resolutions are not kept, and a lot of it comes down to: they aren't SMART. No, not intelligent :) SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based. Sooo let's break that down.

Think of what you often hear as new years resolutions: "I want to lose weight", "I want to get a new job". "I'm going to work on myself". Those are all fantastic if those are your dreams, but um, how are you going to lose weight? How are you getting that job? And what on earth is working on yourself? Let's take "I'm going to work on myself" and make it SMART.

Specific - clear & focused, not vague or broad.

Measurable - how will you know when you've achieved the goal? You have to be able to track progress in some way.

Achievable - The goal must be realistic and able to be achieved

Relevant - Something meaningful and in alignment with your goals and values

Time-based - The goal needs to have some deadlines or timeframes for you to work within.

So with our example of "Work on myself", we can see it's super not SMART. It is as broad and vague as a politician answering a question during election season, it is not measurable, it might be achievable, but how would we know, it might be relevant, and there are no time boundaries established.

Let's say by "work on myself" you really mean "go to therapy" (sorry, but what did you expect?? This is a therapy practice *wink*). A SMART goal for this could look like:

For the next week, I will spend 15 minutes a day for 3 days searching PsychologyToday, my PCP, and friend recommendations for therapists. I will narrow my search down to 3 and contact them for an initial consultation by next Monday.

This goal is SMART. It is very Specific - it clarifies how you are going to go about finding a therapist (a natural step 1 if you want to start therapy!), it is Measurable - by next Monday, you either will have or will have not done this. It is Achievable - this is a realistic expectation for many. It is Relevant - you wanted to go to therapy. And it is time-bound - next Monday is a specific day.

You would likely end up writing several SMART goals for something like an overarching plan to attend therapy -

I will attend therapy sessions for 1 month and reevaluate at the end of the month.

I will practice 1 grounding skill per day for a week.

For the next 2 weeks, I will schedule 3 times to participate in an enjoyable or pleasurable activity.

You are in the driver's seat! These are your goals. If something feels too easy, too hard, not in alignment with your values, or anything else, you are allowed to reevaluate at any time. These SMART goals aren't meant to 'force' you in to change, but rather support your desire to change.

Annnd... At Caring Conversations Therapeutic Services, we believe healing happens when insight meets intention. If you’d like support in setting meaningful, realistic goals, our clinicians are honored to walk alongside you on your journey. Click here to fill out your info today! :)