By Lindsey Bailey, Lower School Counselor
Now that it’s February, how is that new year’s resolution going? I am going to guess that most of you have abandoned it by now. There is a reason: resolutions are good in theory, but in practicality they are often too lofty and non-specific to ever be completed. For example, you might resolve “to be healthier” this year. That sounds great at first, but what exactly does “healthier” mean to you, and how do you know when you have fully accomplished this goal? You might give up pretty quickly if you don’t feel like you are making any progress.
If you want to make positive changes in your life, I suggest replacing resolutions with S.M.A.R.T. goals. They are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Let’s change our resolution “to be healthier” into a S.M.A.R.T. goal:
Specific: make it clear and detailed…………….…......S: I want to exercise more often.
Measurable: make it quantifiable ………………….…..M: 2 times a week for at least 30 minutes.
Achievable: make it challenging but do-able………....A: I do this once a week now.
Relevant: make it important to you and your life…......R: I will feel healthier and less stressed.
Time-bound: set a deadline or time limit………….......T: I can do this for one month.
We went from this resolution: “I want to be healthier” to this S.M.A.R.T. goal: “I will work out twice a week for 30 minutes during the month of March.”
Do you see the difference that makes? Just imagine how much you can accomplish when you set S.M.A.R.T. goals. Try this with your kids or for yourself and see how much it helps.
