Are Your 2019 Resolutions Smart Goals?

Now that we’re roughly 3 weeks into January, chances are you’re quickly realizing which of your 2019 resolutions are working out and which ones are unlikely to make it into February. It may be time to re-evaluate and re-focus some of those goals. Take a look at your goals and make sure they are “SMART” – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.

Specific: What would you like to achieve? Be very clear about what you are aiming for. Simply saying “I want to eat better” or “I will exercise more” is too broad. Instead, try “I will meal plan every Saturday so I can grocery shop and meal prep on Sundays” or “I will run for 30 minutes in the morning every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.”

Measurable: Once you’ve broken your goal down, think about how you will measure success. Perhaps a check-list or a calendar where you can plan and schedule will be helpful.

Achievable: Be honest with yourself and think about whether you can actually achieve your goal. Running a marathon next month may not be possible, but perhaps aiming for a 5k is more likely.

Realistic: Is your goal practical? If you have to be at work very early, waking up extra early to run may not work. Or if your Sunday schedule is already jam-packed, perhaps that’s the wrong day to pick for grocery shopping and meal prep.

Timely: By when would you like to achieve your goal? Something that can happen anytime, will likely happen at no time. But saying that you’d like to achieve your goal within a certain timeframe helps with accountability and makes it more likely that you’ll work to achieve that goal.

Now that you’ve transformed your resolutions into SMART goals, let’s get cracking!

And remember, you don’t have to wait for a new year to make goals and adopt healthy habits. You can start whenever you’re ready – whether that’s next month, next Monday, or at your next bite.