The key to an achievable New Year’s resolution is to make it “SMART,” the New York Times says. An acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound, management gurus have long used SMART techniques to help businesses make and track concrete, realistic goals. For instance, a SMART personal goal would be “I’m going to lose 10 pounds in three months,” instead of “I’m going to lose some weight.” Giving a goal specific targets and timeframes, in other words, helps delineate the often difficult task ahead.
Tag: new year’s resolutions
To Keep a Resolution, Start Small
Start small if you want to keep a New Year’s resolution. The top reason people abandon their goals for self-improvement is that they set their expectations too high—targeting a pie-in-the-sky figure of 20 pounds lost, for example, or $1, 000 saved. Instead, “Start with very, very small steps, ” Dr. Lina Shihabuddin, a psychiatrist and chief medical officer at RWJBarnabas Health in West Orange, N.J., told USA Today. Otherwise, you can get frustrated and give up on your goals altogether.