Girl's Behavior 
Guy's Behavior 
Flirting 
Dating 
Relationships 
Fashion & Beauty 
Health & Fitness 
Marriage & Weddings 
Shopping & Gifts 
Technology & Internet 
Break Up & Divorce 
Education & Career 
Entertainment & Arts 
Family & Friends 
Food & Beverage 
Hobbies & Leisure 
Other 
Religion & Spirituality 
Society & Politics 
Sports 
Travel 
Trending & News 
With the holiday season upon us, and the 2018 New Year just around the corner, many of us take this time to reflect on and reevaluate our life choices. The New Year is the perfect opportunity for new beginnings and to make lifestyle changes; cue the New Year's Resolutions! Maybe you want to lose weight, eat healthier, or quit smoking. But for anyone who has actually made resolutions in the past, you know that despite your good intentions, these resolutions repeatedly fail. Why?
Why Do Resolutions Fail?
If you are one of those people who create resolutions only to see them fail year after year, you are not alone. It is estimated that 25% of us give up on our resolutions within a week of starting them. In fact, less than 10% of New Year's resolutions are actually achieved. So don't worry, you are only one of over 156 million people that don't see their resolution through to fruition!
But why do our resolutions continuously fail? Social Science research has shown that this is most likely attributed to False Hope Syndrome, which are unrealistic expectations about the likely speed, amount, ease, and consequences of self-change attempts. We tend to believe that making self-changes are easy, and as a result, we set high expectations about change that are no where near realistic. It is almost inevitable that these unrealistic resolutions die out rather quickly. On the contrary, realistic resolutions are much more likely to last.
So how can we create realistic resolutions that can actually be achieved? We need to set smarter resolutions; SMART goals.
SMART Goals
SMART goals are a method of behaviour-change that seek to create goals that are realistic, and more likely to succeed than the broad, bigger-than-life goals that are commonly associated with New Year's resolutions. For a goal to be considered SMART, they must be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely:
(1) Specific
SMART goals should be specific as possible and address the five Ws: Who will be involved?, What do I want to accomplish?, Where will it be done?, When will I do it?, and Why I am I doing this? (I would also include Which requirements do I have? and How will I accomplish it?). For example, lets say my goal is to lose 20 pounds, which isn't very specific. Now, here is a much more specific goal with definitive language:
I, Mandy (Who), plan to lose 20 pounds (What) At home (Where) using a treadmill (How) in order to be healthier and have more energy (Why). I will run on the treadmill for 30 minutes a day, from 6pm-6:30pm, 3 days a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday (When). I will start at 2MPH for the first 10 minutes, increase to 5MPH for 10 minutes, then decrease to 3MPH for the last 10 minutes (Which).
As you can see, the more specific and defined a goal, the better. On a side note, it may be helpful to write your specific goal down on a piece of paper, which will help you clarify your goal and motivate you to stick with the goal.
(2) Measurable
As well as specific, SMART goals should also be measurable. If a goal is measurable, then you are able to objectively determine if you are successful at meeting it. For example, a goal of eating healthier isn't easy to measure, but a goal of eating 1500 calories/day is measurable. Likewise, the goal of being more active isn't measurable, but a goal of walking 30 minutes a day is measurable.
(3) Attainable
The third aspect of a SMART goal is that it is attainable/achievable. An attainable goal should have enough resources and time to accomplish. Many people create goals that are unrealistic and practically unattainable because they underestimate the time and resources that they have. For example, running for an hour everyday may be too physically difficult to achieve if you have never run before. On the other hand, jogging for half and hour every three days may be easier to achieve. It is also important that your goals don't fall below your standard of performance. For example, if you are a marathon runner, a goal to walk for 30 minutes a day would be far too easy to achieve.
(4) Relevant
Another thing to consider when creating a SMART goal is if it is relevant. Ask yourself, why does this goal matter to you? Your goal should have a sense of purpose and importance to you. For example, you should lose weight because you want to be healthier and look your best, not because other people say you should. Another question to ask yourself; what are the costs and benefits of achieving your goal? The benefits should always outweigh the cost, as well as be consistent with other goals you have set. It is also important to celebrate when you have accomplished your goal. Accomplishing a goal is a big deal! So remember to reward yourself.
(5) Timely
Lastly, a SMART goal should be timely, in order to create a sense of urgency and promote better time management. You should set a start date as well as definitive time limit to complete your goal. For example, if I want to lose 20 pounds, I could set a start and end date; from January 5th, 2018 to April 5th, 2018. Remember that when creating a time limit, you need to be realistic. Setting a goal to lose 20 pounds in two weeks is unrealistic, whereas a three-month time limit is much more realistic and achievable.
So, what are your goals for 2018? To lose weight? To quit smoking? To eat healthier? Whatever goals you plan to set, make sure they are SMART!
Happy 2018 GaG!
Most Helpful Opinions