The acronym SMART means that a goal is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
But what does each of those words mean in practice?
Lets look at an example.
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Youve noticed that youre not feeling rested and want to make sleep more of a priority in your life.
Heres how setting SMART goals can help.
Why Do SMART Goals Work?
Even if youre very motivated to make changes, it can still be challenging.
Types of Goals
Some goals seem more likely to succeed than others.
These challenges encourage problem-solving and active engagement.
On the other hand, not reaching a performance goal can feel like a failure because it involves judgment.
Think about a goal of losing 20 pounds.
Possible Downsides of SMART Goals
A possible downside of SMART goals is that they can betoospecific.
For example, lets say youve been having panic attacks every day.
You set a goal to have no more than three panic attacks per week.
You start working on your goal by using the techniques youre learning in therapy when youre feeling anxious.
In this case, setting a very specific goal might have worked against you.
I will do this for the next month and track my progress in my journal.
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