Goal setting is essential part of healthy lives because it can help provide us a target or something to work towards.

The SMART technique is one goal-setting approach that has been thoroughly researched and proven to be effective. SMART is an acronym that stands for:

Specific – Make the goal clear, concise, and narrowed in on what your aim is. Setting goals that are too broad provide less direction, but narrowing in on a specific goal can provide more of a direction. For example, “I want to be healthy” would be a broad goal but making it more specific may be “I want to eat more fruits every day.”

Measurable – Make the goal something that can be measured or quantified in some way. It is helpful to ask yourself “how many” or “how much” or other number-related questions when setting your goal. For example, using the fruit example, you could say “I want to eat 2 fruits every day.”

Achievable/Attainable – Make the goal something you can accomplish. Setting a hard goal may lead to a better outcome or provide more motivation. However, setting a goal that is too difficult can discourage you and lead to giving up on the goal. For example, in the fruit example, it is important to ask yourself – is eating 2 fruits a day something I can achieve?

Realistic/Relevant. Make the goal something that is practical for you and aligns with your vision. It should be something that is realistic given your life circumstances. This often helps make the goal feel rewarding too. For example, in the fruit example, it may align with your vision of being healthier and it may be practical because you are able to have access to fruits every day.

Time-bound – Give yourself a timeline or deadline for the goal. Having a deadline can help you stay motivated, prioritize your goal over other tasks, and provide a more concrete timeline to achieve your goals. For example, in the fruit example, you may tell yourself you are going to eat the two fruits by lunch time every day for a month.

The example provided is a very simple example but the same technique and logic can be applied to more complex situations too.