Welcome to February, when 33 percent of all New Year’s resolutions have already fallen by the wayside. Research shows that the problem isn’t weak willpower. Rather, it’s ineffective goal-setting. Our goals aren’t SMART enough.
We have SmartBoards in our classrooms, smartphones in our pockets, and maybe even SMART cars in our driveways, but we need to make sure that our goals are SMART, too.
SMART stands for Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-oriented. My colleagues and I at Behrman House set SMART goals for ourselves each December as part of our professional development. One of my goals, for example, is learning to use photo editing software. This will allow me to strengthen my design skills and produce nicer-looking, more engaging materials. I’ve charted a path to success with a detailed action plan including well-defined goals which I can measure, which can be assessed objectively, and which I will achieve by a particular date. I will revisit my action plan quarterly to make sure I’m on track, and to get myself back on track early if I’m not.
I’m such a believer in the power of SMART goals to increase my effectiveness that I even built a SMART goal-setting activity into my latest book, Living Jewish Values 4: Our Shared World, which will be published in March. In the book, students learn about Jewish values that connect them to their community. We help them explore strategies, including SMART goal-setting, to put those values into action. Because the goals are SMART, students know they are achievable from the start of their plan, and they are much more likely to succeed. And because we have taught our students a powerful goal-setting process, we are preparing them for meaningful and relevant Jewish lives with 21st century skills.
Want to get your own New Year’s resolutions back on track? Try setting SMART goals with the help of this digital tool: http://www.101-smart-goals.com/. The site, recently featured in Babaganewz’s Technology Tuesdays, can help you set and track your goals online so you become a New Year’s resolution success story, not a February drop-out.
SMART Goal Example:
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less-SMART
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SMART-er
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Specific
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I want to lose weight.
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I’m going to exercise.
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Measureable
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I’m going to lose weight.
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I’m going to lose 30 pounds.
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Achievable
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I’m going to lose 30 pounds.
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I’m going to lose 10 pounds
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Relevant
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I’m going to lose 1 pound.
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I’m going to lose 10 pounds.
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Time-bound
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I’m going to lose 10 pounds.
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I’m going to lose 10 pounds by June 30.
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