From Wishful Thinking to Real Results: The SMART Way to Set Goals

From Wishful Thinking to Real Results: The SMART Way to Set Goals
By: Samantha Atkins, PhD and Supriya Singh, MA MLP

Every January, millions of us resolve to change—whether it’s to get healthier, become more organized, or improve our relationships. But whether or not you made a New Year’s resolution for 2025, each of us has something we would like to improve about our lives. This drive to become the best version of ourselves is powerful, and it can be strengthened toward observable achievement through using a research-based, goal-setting method called: SMART.

The SMART goals method was originally developed by organizational psychologists in the late 1960’s to improve worker productivity (Locke, 1968). It has since been used successfully integrated into various facets of society, including education, healthcare, and even organized sports (Stewart et al, 2024). Through crafting SMART goals, we can more successfully follow through on our plans, reinforcing our belief that we are capable of change. This shift in self-perception is empowering, and it motivates us to keep going!

SMART stands for:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-bound

Let’s develop one together to get the hang of it. Since survey data from the Pew Research Center finds that 79% of all New Year’s resolutions concern health (Gracia, 2024), we will turn the general goal of “being more physically active” into a SMART goal.

Specific. To make this goal of being more physically active specific, you would first define exactly how you want to be more active. The American Heart Association recommends that we each “get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity” (American Heart Association, 2024). Another way to think of “aerobic activity” is cardo, including brisk walking, jogging, jumping, swimming, rowing, hiking, dancing, cycling, etc.

For our SMART goal, we could start with: I will spend at least 150 minutes each week participating in a cardiovascular conditioning activity. To make it even more specific, you could break the time up and specify when we will be engaging in the activity: I will spend at least 50 minutes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays each week participating in a cardiovascular conditioning activity.

Measurable. Now, we want to outline how we will measure this activity. We need to measure the time we spend participating in cardio, as well as the rigor with which we are participating. For example, though strolling through a department store is movement, it does not constitute “moderate-intensity.” We could measure our activity’s intensity through using a fitness app on our phones, wearable fitness tracker, or simply writing down what we do each time we engage in cardio, making sure to describe the activity’s intensity-level. To make sure an activity is moderately intense, the Mayo Clinic recommends the “talk test.” If you can talk comfortably while engaging in the activity, but not sing, you’re at a moderate level. If you can breathe comfortably and are not gasping for air, you’re at a moderate level. You might start to sweat lightly after a few minutes. You will feel slightly challenged, but not overly exerted (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2023).

Now, our SMART goal looks like this: I will spend at least 50 minutes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays each week participating in a cardiovascular conditioning activity, and I will track both the length of time I engage as well as the activity’s intensity level based on my ability to talk and breathe during it.

Attainable. Making our goal attainable requires us to consider our resources. Where can we carve out time during the week to make this happen? Do we have access to childcare, or can our children accompany us? Can we afford a gym membership, or will we need to select activities that don’t require financial investment? A more highly-attainable goal will be one that doesn’t require you to make big changes before you can get started. You might have to compromise on the ideal way to achieve your goal. For example, you may love swimming but don’t have access to a pool. So, in this situation, saying that your cardiovascular conditioning activity will be swimming is unrealistic. The “A” in SMART asks us not to set ourselves up for failure with unrealistic expectations.

To make our SMART goal as attainable as possible, let’s specify financially accessible cardio: I will spend at least 50 minutes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays each week walking briskly, jogging, or hiking, and I will track both the length of time I engage as well as the activity’s intensity level based on my ability to talk and breathe during it.

Relevant. Though the “R” comes fourth, it is arguably the most important piece of this SMART goal puzzle. In fact, you might want to think about it first before sketching out the rest. Why do we want to get all this cardio in the first place? Maybe someone we loved passed away earlier than we wished they did, and now we want to live a longer life so as not to leave our loved ones too soon. Or, maybe we fought against and beat an illness that almost robbed us of our lives, and now we want to hold onto and strengthen our health to increase our odds of beating anything like that again. Or, maybe we are just beating up on ourselves because of our body size, and we want to change our shape to increase our self-esteem. There is no wrong reason for wanting to change, but you do need to spell out your reason, in writing, to increase your odds of SMART goal achievement.

For example: In order to improve my self-confidence and improve my quality of life, I will spend at least 50 minutes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays each week walking briskly, jogging, or hiking, and I will track both the length of time I engage as well as the activity’s intensity level based on my ability to talk and breathe during it.

Time-bound. Getting more active might be a long-term change that we hope will stick with us forever, but the abstract nature of “forever” could set us up for failure in the now. Instead, we want to give ourselves a deadline, and plan to reassess our goal when that time has passed.

For example: In order to improve my self-confidence and improve my quality of life, I will spend at least 50 minutes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays each week for three months walking briskly, jogging, or hiking, and I will track both the length of time of each session as well as the level of intensity

Once you’ve created your SMART goal, the next step is to track your actions. You want to physically write down the effort you put in toward your goal every day or every week. There are a number of habit tracking apps that you can download onto your phone. And, of course, writing down what you’ve been doing in a journal or planner works just as well. Make note of when you meet the criteria of your goal for the day and pat yourself on the back. When you don’t hit that goal, you can practice how it feels to be disappointed with yourself, acknowledge the difficulties of making change, and accept that there will be set backs.

If, after a couple of weeks, you find yourself unable to maintain the specific plans in your SMART goal, revise it. You might need to do a trial run on what works best you. You might just have your sights set a little high for yourself, or else you might be basing your goal on a goal that is working well for a friend or coworker. It’s okay to be discouraged, but instead of letting discouragement stop your progress, consider the power of revision.

Talking to a therapist can greatly impact both your likelihood of setting an appropriate SMART goal, as well as your likelihood of achieving it. Meredith Psychological and Testing Services has a long list of available therapists trained in CBT (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy) and other motivational techniques. Our therapists are trained to help you define your goals and stick to them. We know that progress happens one small, measurable step at a time. With goal-setting strategies and some self-compassion, each of us is capable of achieving more than we think we are. Give us a call if you’d like to see how a team of professionals can strengthen your resolve for 2025!

Works Cited:

American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids. (2024, January 19). American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults#:~:text=Get%20at%20least%20150%20minutes,least%202%20days%20per%20week

Gracia, S. (2024, January 29). New Year’s resolutions: Who makes them and why. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/01/29/new-years-resolutions-who-makes-them-and-why/

Locke, Edwin A. (1968). Toward a theory of task motivation and incentives. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 3(2). 157-189. doi:10.1016/0030-5073(68)90004-4

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2023, August 25). Exercise intensity: How to measure it. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise-intensity/art-20046887#:~:text=Moderate%20exercise%20intensity,but%20you%20can’t%20sing

Stewart, V., McMillan, S. S., Hu, J., Collins, J. C., El-Den, S., O’Reilly, C. L., & Wheeler, A. J. (2024). Are SMART goals fit-for-purpose? Goal planning with mental health service-users in Australian community pharmacies. International Journal for Quality in Health Care: Journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care, 36(1). doi:10.1093/intqhc/mzae009