How to Set SMARTer Goals You Will Actually Achieve
Each year when the clock strikes midnight on January 1st, we begin to think about how to make this year the year that we finally reach the goals which have been alluding us for years.
Maybe you want to lose weight, start a new hobby, or finish that first draft of your novel. Whatever your dream is, you probably begin the year motivated and inspired, hitting the ground running only to burn out or run out of steam by February.
At TeleHealthNP, we are big proponents of goal setting and fresh starts, and we don’t think they should be limited to the first of the year. We are, however, more concerned with how you plan to maintain the momentum, stay inspired when times get tough, and actually achieve those dreams.
Why You Never Achieve Your Goals
Setting goals is easy, following through less so. The biggest problem we see when people set goals is that they have the idea, but no plan to follow through.
Let’s look at an example:
Diane wants to lose weight in the new year, so on January 1st she sets the resolution to lose 20 pounds. She starts the year with a crash diet, cutting out all sugar and carbs and purchases a membership at her local gym.
For a few weeks, Diane feels completely inspired and motivated and even loses five pounds. However, without any carbs, she feels sluggish throughout the day and struggles to find the energy to make it to the gym.
After a bad day at the office, she decides to treat herself to her favorite fast food and skip the gym to veg out on the couch. Soon she finds herself doing this more and more, and eventually she gains back the five pounds and then some while her gym card gathers dust in her wallet.
So, what went wrong? Even though Diane had a specific goal in mind, she hadn’t created any systems to support it or a way to measure her progress outside of the scale. When life happened, she had no way to hold herself accountable.
Does this story sound familiar? This sort of failure happens to people all the time, so don’t feel bad if Diane’s story feels a little close to home.
We found a better way to achieve your goals, and it starts with thinking SMART.
What are SMART Goals?
SMART is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. The term is credited to George T. Doran in a 1981 issue of the magazine Management Review and it has since been adapted many times over by self help and productivity experts.
SMART goals creates more specificity around your goals and how you plan to achieve them, making it easier to follow through because you know exactly what you are doing.
Let’s take a closer look at each part of SMART goals:
Specific: Instead of simply saying, “I want to lose weight,” set a specific goal like, “I want to go to the gym five days per week and eat 50g of protein per day.” Being more specific gives you more clarity on what you want to achieve.
Measurable: Instead of just saying you want to get to the gym and eat healthy, are there any qualities of those goals you can measure? In the example above we decided to go to the gym five times per week and eat 50g of protein per day.
Achievable: Would your goal be achievable within the bounds of your resources and lifestyle? For example, setting a goal to never eat sugar again is not realistic. If you are at your best friend’s birthday party, you might want to have a slice of cake. Maybe ketchup is your favorite condiment? Instead, set a goal to eat less than 6g per day, the amount recommended by the American Heart Association and enjoy small indulgences where appropriate.
Realistic: Make sure your goals are realistic when it comes to your schedule and resources. If you can’t make it to the gym five times per week can you commit to walking everyday after work? Really think about how your goals can realistically fit into your lifestyle.
Time-bound: It is always better to set smaller goals that you can achieve within days or weeks. For example, instead of trying to lose 20 pounds in 6 months, set the goal to lose 2-3 pounds each week. Similarly, set a nutrition goal you can hit daily.
How it Works
The biggest issue with goal setting is that we often set goals that are unrealistic, long-term, and without a specific plan in place. They introduce big change that is often at odds with your current lifestyle and therefore difficult to maintain over time.
What we often talk about on the TeleHealthNP blog is how to change your mindset to create meaningful and sustainable changes that you can maintain forever, not just a season.
Setting smaller, measurable goals as opposed to one big, ambiguous goal makes it easier to track your progress and stay motivated.
Getting specific about your timeline and setting shorter-term goals helps you to stay motivated throughout the whole process because you are experiencing wins more often.
Now that you understand the process and why it works, let’s go back to the beginning to talk about your why.
Start with Your Why
When setting a goal, the first thing you should do is figure out the why behind your motivation.
Simply put, your why is the deeper motivation behind why you want to achieve a specific goal.
For example, if weight loss is your goal then maybe your motivation is to relieve symptoms of weight related health issues like joint pain, diabetes, or fatigue.
Another example might be that you want to have more energy to run around with your children or grandchildren. Or maybe you have always wanted to climb a mountain or run a marathon and your goal is to get in shape to do that.
Whatever you decide, find something that you find deeply motivating that is separate from just reaching a certain number on the scale. The reason you want to find a deeper motivation is that it will help you to stay the path when things get hard. Your why will help you find the strength to keep going when motivation fails you.
You Can Achieve Your Goal Weight in 2025!
We are invested in seeing you achieve your goals, no matter how big or small they are.
When you sign up for TeleHealthNP, we will recommend personalized weight loss advice and a prescription for the newest and most effective medications to help you achieve a healthy weight.
Prescribed medications may include semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy), tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound), or other medications for weight loss and appetite control.
Reach out for a consultation to learn more about our services and how you can achieve your goal weight this year!
