SMART Steps for Better Health: A New Year’s Goal-Setting Guide

Did you know most New Year's Resolutions fail? Some research reports that less than 10% of people who set a new year's resolution will achieve it by the end of the year. 

New Year's resolutions are a tradition of making a promise to oneself to accomplish something in the coming year. Many people set resolutions to lose weight, eat healthier, and exercise more. Resolutions do not have to be related to health and wellness, though it is a common theme. Typically, resolutions fail because we do not develop a plan for how we will meet them. 

Enter SMART goals - the formula for how you are going to get the result that you want. SMART goals take that overarching goal and break it down into timeframes and action steps that will contribute to your success.SMART goals have been scientifically found to yield better results and help people achieve their ambitions. This guide will walk you through how to set (and stick to) health-related SMART goals, using the example of Jane. Jane is a 45-year old mother of two who wants to lose 15 pounds and improve her blood work so she is no longer prediabetic. Her doctor told her to do this, she will need to start exercising - something she says she has not had time to do for the last 6 years. She has tried diet after diet, but always ends up giving up once she stops seeing progress or gets tired of the rigid rules. Jane decides to use the SMART goal formula to make a plan for how she is going to reach her goals this year. 

Step 1: Self Reflection

While SMART goals can be used for any topic from career, relationships, finances, and more, we will be focusing on goal setting for health and wellness.

Good goals start with a why - why do I want to meet this goal? Why does this goal matter to me? Why is this what I want to focus on this year, above anything else? A good way to identify your why is to set some time aside for self-reflection. This can take as long or as little as you want, and we have provided some prompts to get you started:

• What are my values in life? What brings me happiness and meaning?

• What would I like my health and fitness to look like 1 year from now? Write this down as a clear statement in the present tense. For example: I feel more confident in my food and exercise habits. I know how to nourish my body without guilt. I am able to keep up with my pets / children / grandchildren.

• Is there anything that stands in the way of my vision?

• On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being I have achieved my wellness vision), where do I fall today?

Find Your Why Checklist: What motivates you to act now? Feeling more energetic   Being present for friends and family  Feeling more confident

Having less pain Improving focus and productivity  Other:_______________________

It may also be helpful to reflect on any health goals you set in the past. Write down what worked and what went well in the past, as well as what did not work. What should you do differently this time to see success? What strengths do you already have that will contribute to your success this time? Also write down any barriers you believe may stand in your way. If you’re able, brainstorm some ways you may work through those barriers as well. 

Step 2: SMART 3-month Goals

Now it’s time to start drafting our goals. We recommend starting with 3-month goals because they are long enough to start seeing results, but short enough to create a sense of urgency. One reason many New Year’s resolutions fail is because twelve months gives us a lot of time to fall off track or get discouraged. Breaking things into smaller time frames helps maintain motivation. SMART goals are goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. We will break these down step by step and practice setting goals we can actually achieve. First, start with your overarching goal. For the purposes of our examples, we will continue with Jane’s goal to lose 15 pounds. During her self reflection, Jane discovered that exercising regularly is how she wants to meet this goal.  

Specific and Measurable 

Goals should be something quantifiable and measurable. For example, Jane decides “I will walk for 30 minutes a day, 4 days of the week) which is both quantifiable and measurable. Jane is able to measure the duration of her walks in minutes, and can quantify (count) the number of days she meets that goal each week. 

Achievable and relevant

Our short-term goal must be achievable given our current routines, schedules, and abilities. Jane’s routine is pretty sedentary - she spends a lot of time sitting at a desk and knows setting out to run a marathon probably isn’t realistic right now. She decides that starting with walking regularly is the most realistic and achievable goal for her. This goal is also relevant for meeting that long-term goal of losing weight, because walking will help Jane burn more calories than she currently is. And maybe one day walking will help her build up to harder exercise! 

Time-bound

Finally, goals should have a “due date,” and will include regular check-ins. Jane decides she wants to establish her routine of 30 minute walks 5 days a week for 3 months before she moves on to her next goal. She decides every 3 weeks she would like to check-in with herself and take note of any challenges she is experiencing, as well as what successes she has accomplished. 

Examples of SMART goals

Overarching goal	SMART goal
“I want to eat better”	“I will add one serving of veggies to lunch and dinner daily for 3 weeks”
“I want to spend less time sitting”	“I will take a ten minute walk twice a day every day this week”
“I want to lose weight”	“I will increase my exercise from 3 times a week to 4 times, for at least 30 minutes”
“I want to get more sleep”	“I will go to bed 15 minutes earlier than usual this week, and stop using screens 30 minutes before bed”

STEP 3: Support and Accountability 

Health goals are often easier to meet when you have a good support system. This could be friends, family members, community members - anyone who is there to support you and raise you up. Different support systems might be:

• Local gyms or community centers, or exercises classes 

• Spiritual or religious gatherings 

• A MeetUp or other social group for the exercise you enjoy - hiking, biking, run clubs, you name it 

• Following healthy and positive social media accounts that make you feel inspired and good about yourself

• Avoiding people who are not supportive, or who are judgemental, or critical of you or your efforts 

A good support system has the following attributes

• Listens and is not judgemental 

• Models healthy behaviors

• Aids in problem solving 

• Holds you accountable to your goals 

Holding ourselves accountable to reach our goals is incredibly important, but can also be a challenge. Life happens, we get busy, tired, ill, etc. and it can be easy to skip a few workouts. While it is important to rest and recover, we also need to hold ourselves accountable and responsible for meeting our goals. Here are some ways to practice accountability to meet your SMART goals: 

• Dedicate time to a weekly check-in. Spend at least 10-15 minutes reflecting on what went well, what was difficult, and what you can do next week to improve. 

• Recognize and reframe negative self-talk. We often get in our own way and can allow negative thoughts about ourselves to take over. When feelings of “I can’t do this” creep in, reframe with “I can meet my goal if I stay consistent, manage my stress, and nourish my body correctly.” 

• Identify common excuses that you allow to stand in your way. Some reasons for not sticking with your plan are totally valid, such as illness, injury, or a family emergency. Other reasons are really just excuses we justify to ourselves in order to get out of doing the hard work we don’t want to do. One common excuse for not exercising, for example, is a perceived lack of time. If this is something you find holds you back, try scheduling exercise into your day, making a list of the tasks that need to be completed each day and identify which ones can be postponed, or ask someone to help you with tasks so you can free up time for yourself. 

• Make your health a priority. It is easy to neglect taking care of ourselves for the sake of being a good parent, friend, partner, or caregiver for others. But we cannot pour from an empty cup, and must make our own health pursuits a priority in order to reach our goals! Deciding exercise, stress management, quality sleep, and a balanced diet are non-negotiables for you can help you get into the right mindset to meet your goals. 

Setting SMART goals is a great way to set yourself up for success. SMART goals can take a long-term goal and break it down into smaller, incremental steps that will result in lasting results. Self reflection can go a long way to helping you identify what matters to you, what your long- and short-term health goals are, and can help keep you accountable throughout the process. Having a strong support system including friends, family, your healthcare team, and your registered dietitian can also help you feel empowered to make lasting changes. So, what are your SMART goals for this new year?

 Here is a free template to help you get started.