Getting S . M . A . R . T About Your Self-Care Goals
Specific . Measurable . Attainable . Realistic . Timely
So, you want to incorporate more self-care in your life, but how? If making sustainable changes were easy, then all we would need to do is glance at a few inspirational quotes on Instagram. Research shows that writing down your goals increases the likelihood that your intentions will be realized. Try this widely used goal setting tool and see if you notice a difference.
S.M.A.R.T criteria are commonly attributed to Peter Drucker's management by objectives concept.
The S.M.A.R.T. goal setting tool helps moves you from a vague goal such as, “I want to be healthier,” to something more concrete. For example, “I am going to walk for 20 minutes after work on Wednesday and Saturday this week.”
Other Goal Setting Tips:
Get your goals from your head to somewhere tangible that you will look at regularly. If you are old school, pick out a special notebook to write down your hopes, dreams, and goals. If you are tech savvy then capture your intentions on one of your devices.
Create a collage with words and images that represent your goals.
Say your goal out loud. Voicing your intentions makes them more real, and increases your sense of accountability.
Shifting your focus towards tangible and realistic actions tends to lead to more satisfaction, because as much as we may want to we cannot control outcomes.
Another great resource is Dr. BJ Fogg’s new book, Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything.
