SMART Goals

Recently pummeled by a media barrage of year-end images, political and economic forecasts, and droll lists of the best and worst trivia of the year, many of us feel motivated to begin the year with a new year's resolution or two. With the feasting over and the leftovers gone, what better time to lose a few pounds, or start an exercise program? January 1 represents a new beginning, a fresh start, an ideal opportunity to get organized, look for a better job, take a class, revitalize a relationship—you name it.

Unfortunately, like the holiday lights, most resolutions find themselves on the shelf within a few short weeks. As we relax into familiar routines and habits, the prospect of making change no longer feels exciting, it feels arduous. When that happens, we lose our resolve.

In the New Year, Set Goals

This year when you contemplate making a new year's resolution, immediately calendar a 30-minute session with yourself to do the real work of goal setting. Resolutions are often just wishful thinking, but a goal acts like a map, guiding you to your destination.

Imagine two drivers starting off from the same point. One has a destination in mind (her goal), which is laid out for her on a map (her plan). She can drive straight there without any wasted time or wrong turns. The other driver has no destination and no map. She starts off at the same time from the same place as the first driver, but meanders aimlessly around, never getting anywhere, using up gas and oil. Which driver would you rather be?

Goals are not difficult to set. Furthermore, when they are realistic and accompanied by good planning, they often are not difficult to achieve. That doesn't mean that hard work isn't involved. Earning a degree, for example, is no cakewalk. But a well-devised goal and plan have a built-in mega-horsepower engine—very useful when the road gets rough.

Make Them SMART Goals

Brain research tells us that writing down something increases the likelihood that it will be committed to long-term memory. The additional musculature and sensory input provided by writing and reading strengthen pathways in the brain. So if you want a goal to stick, the first thing you should do is write it down (or keyboard it into your computer).

A written goal can be reviewed regularly and is harder to neglect or forget. Furthermore, writing a goal forces you to test your vision against certain requirements. To turn a new year's resolution into a SMART goal, you must make it:

Say exactly what you want to accomplish, with as much detail as possible.

State how many, how much, what size, what cost, etc. If your goal isn't measurable in some way, how will you know when you've reached it?

Ask yourself, "Can this be done?" "Is it possible?" Losing twenty pounds in two weeks, for example, is probably not an attainable goal.

Ask yourself, "Am I willing to do this?" While losing five pounds in two weeks may be attainable, it is not realistic unless you are truly willing to expend the equivalent of five pounds more energy than you consume during that period.

Give yourself a target date or deadline for achieving your goal.

As you can see, developing a SMART goal requires a little more thought than simply voicing your desire for something. We go around saying what we "want" all the time, but unless we have a fairy godmother, wanting doesn't get it for us. How many times have you said, "I want to lose ten pounds," or "I want a new car," or "I want a better job." If all you had to do was want those things, you'd have them by now. To get what you want, you have to put some power behind your desires. That's the purpose of a SMART goal.

Take Quick Action

To turn a SMART goal into a reality, develop—and follow—an action plan. Breaking the goal down into manageable pieces makes it easier to achieve. It's like the map we talked about earlier that guides you to your destination, one mile (or step) at a time.

To develop a plan, first brainstorm all the steps you need to take to achieve your goal. Don't worry yet about getting them in any sort of order—just write them down. When you have an exhaustive list, go back and decide which step to take first, second, third and so on. Assign realistic interim deadlines to each step. Generally speaking, the more detailed your plan, the smaller each action will be and the easier to achieve. Finally, never implement a plan so single-mindedly that you become blind to feedback coming at you from other people and the environment. Be willing to adjust your plan if you get clear indications that something isn't working. Evaluation should be ongoing.

Focus on End Results

Once your plan is in place, shift your emotional focus to the desired end result of achieving your goal. An end result is often different from its companion goal. For example, if your goal is to earn an MBA degree, the end result probably is not the piece of paper with its official seal (unless you have a very strong desire to display it and feel good every time you see it on the wall). The end result is more likely the wall itself, which is part of the corner VP office (the one with the view) that you'll occupy when you land the coveted job for which the MBA qualifies you.

See the difference? The MBA is sort of a lifeless concept (and probably associated with lots of hard work and sacrifice), while the image of the new job is exciting and compelling. Focusing on the MBA could generate negative feelings and slow down goal achievement. Focusing on the end result creates all sorts of positive emotions and speeds up goal achievement.

Two major features characterize effective end results. End results must:

1. Generate extremely strong feelings

2. Be outcomes that can only happen if and when you reach your stated goal.

Create a Physical Image

Even if you are very skilled at seeing pictures in your imagination, obtain or create some physical symbol of your goal's end result—a clear image that you will see over and over again in the same way.

Represent your end result as precisely as possible. Use photographs, travel brochures, postcards, gummed stickers or hand-drawn sketches. Make your picture bright and colorful. If you want to buy a red car, be sure to have a picture of a red car, not a blue one. Complete at least one picture, or create several, each showing your end result in a way that triggers strong feelings every time you view the image.

Think SMART All Year

The SMART goal-setting process is particularly effective with long-range goals, but short-term goals deserve a quick check for their "smartness" as well. When we think about the day ahead, most of us envision numerous things that we want to accomplish. Some are planned steps to achieving long-range goals, but others are mini-goals in themselves. When we overload ourselves (and feel disappointed by our lack of productivity at the end of the day), it's often because certain things we set out to do were vaguely defined, unrealistic, or unattainable in the first place.

Finally, while there's nothing sacred about January 1 for launching goals and plans—just about any day will do—the mystique surrounding the start of a new year may fill you with added excitement and resolve. Don't waste it. When you sense momentum building, seize the moment—the SMART way.

Dianne Schilling is an education/personal development writer and instructional designer. You can read more of her articles at www.womensmedia.com.