Welcome back, everyone! Today, we wanted to regroup on a topic that we often refer to and find especially helpful as 2022 comes to a close. If you’ve never heard of SMART goals, are looking to re-adjust your intentions for the upcoming year, or are otherwise interested in general self-improvement, make sure to keep reading below.

SMART Goal Definition…

And synonyms.

• Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
• Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
• Achievable (agreed, attainable).
• Relevant (reasonable, realistic, resourced, results-based).
• Timely (time-based, time-limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive). (from “MindTools”).

SMART Goal Application…

So, let’s start off with grabbing your closest notebook, planner, Google document, or another form of paper and writing down some New Year-focused goals. Are you focusing on your health? If so, maybe stating the number of times you plan to go to the gym, for a set amount of time to build muscle and achieve an increase in weights used is an excellent place to start. Suppose you’re seeking a job promotion in the next few months. In that case, setting a goal to spend x amount of minutes extra completing additional work, asking for feedback x amount of times per week, or aiming to achieve the placement in 6 months are measurable ways to hold your goal accountable! One last example, if your priority for the year is to find a new position, network with x amount of new people per week, engage in x amount of coffee chats or informational interviews, or otherwise work to apply to x amount of jobs per week to achieve a new position by x date are great ways to start compiling a timeline to keep up with.

In addition, many corporations house HR-related software programs in which employees input goals that they can track and be measured against throughout the year. If this is you, make sure to reassess your goals in any platform related to your work before the year wraps. Are certain projects or skills no longer applicable? If that’s the case, opening up a dialogue with your leadership or manager is a great way to realign with your interests as well as job expectations.

The most important aspect of goal creation is that it is a unique and individual journey for any person. Your goals will not be the same as the person next to you, last year or next year.. and that’s okay! Creating and transcribing your goals at the beginning of this year is a great way to map out your next few months, create a measure of accountability, and get excited about what’s to come.