Happy New Year! Did you make any resolutions this year? What about to improve your health? It’s common to see more people at the gym right after New Year’s. We might make a commitment to get fit, to eat healthier, lose weight, or any number of things. But how do we do this? Why do we make the same resolutions year after year? What can we do to help improve our chances of success? SMART goals can help.

What are SMART Goals? These are structured goals that help make success attainable. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely. Think of your ultimate goal and then break it down into smaller parts. Say you want to lose 50 lbs. To start you might say, “I want to lose 10 pounds in two months by reducing my refined sugars in half and exercising three times a week for 20 minutes each” instead of just, “I want to lose 50 pounds”. By making a goal measurable, you can track your progress. By making it specific, you have a path to follow.

You can use SMART goals for anything you want to accomplish. For instance, you could use a SMART goal for pursuing a degree, “I will take one class per semester, or four classes per year, over the next five years and receive my degree.” Or on remodeling your bathroom, “I will work four hours every weekend for the next two months to refinish my bathroom”.

The SMART goals are a great way to get your goals on paper and see if they are realistic. They can be modified when needed. The main idea being to stick to a plan, keeping the goal attainable and to accomplish your dream. Hear is to a great 2018! May you accomplish your goals!