How To Set Goals That’ll Get You Real Results This Year 2022

How To Set Goals That’ll Get You Real Results This Year

Goals are easy to keep, right? Not so fast. “Behavior change is probably one of the most difficult tasks—especially sustained change,” says Michele Smallidge, Ed.D., R.D., program director of exercise science at the University of New Haven. Most of the time, she says, you need a whole lot of things to align in order to change your behavior: the environment, your motivation, your support, the size of the change, and the process you’re using to make it. But there are simple strategies that will give you a better shot at success. Before you embark on a big mission to overhaul your life, pick one behavior to focus on and use these research-backed tips to make it a habit.

1. Set a SMART goal

The first step toward change is figuring out exactly what you want to achieve. Use this cheat sheet for goal-setting, using the acronym SMART:

Specific

“Instead of having a big, larger-than-life ‘I’m going to eat healthy this year,’ be really mindful and thoughtful and try to come up with a goal that’s precise and clear,” advises Smallidge. Say, “I’m going to have a mocha latte only once a week.”

Measurable

Give yourself things to aim for that can be tracked, like walking for 20 minutes before starting work. “Because it’s measurable, you can check yourself,” says Smallidge.

Achievable and Realistic

Running a marathon in a couple of months isn’t achievable or realistic if you’ve never run a mile. “You have to dig deep and ask yourself, Can I be successful at this? The last thing you want to do is set something up that’s not achievable or realistic so within the first couple of weeks you’ll already feel defeated,” says Smallidge.

Time

In the same way that a semester of school serves as a framework for the progression of classes, Smallidge says, having a time frame in which to complete a task provides structure.

2. Keep it small

This is an important aspect of being specific. “Our brains work best when we break bigger lifestyle changes and goals into small, really actionable things,” says Zelana Montminy, Psy.D., a positive psychologist and the author of 21 Days to Resilience. For example, someone who wants to write a book might be more successful if they commit to writing a paragraph every day. Each time you hit your mini goal, your brain will release a cocktail of feel-good chemicals that will increase your confidence and motivate you to keep going, Montminy explains. You can always adjust your goal later as you make progress, but it’s a lot harder to start if your goal is overwhelming from the get-go.

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3. Make a road map

Sit down and plot out exactly what you’re going to do to make your change stick. “When somebody says they want to start walking every day, yet they’re off to work at 6 a.M. And they’re not home until 8 p.M., how are they going to do that? What’s their road map?” asks Smallidge. “If the person really wants to and if they’re motivated, they’ll have to bring their sneakers and walk during lunch or walk outside before it’s even light out.” You need a game plan that works with your life.

4. Tell someone

“Don’t just keep these things inside you,” says Montminy. “Tell a friend. Tell a loved one. Tell someone about the change you hope to make, and tell them exactly how they can help support you.” If you’re trying to save money, for example, suggest making dinner with your sister instead of going to a pricey restaurant, or ask her to check in with you monthly to mark your progress. It’s nice to have a cheerleader and someone to hold you accountable.

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5. Focus on fun

“Most people, when they have a new goal they want to pursue, look for the most efficient and effective method,” says Katy Milkman, Ph.D., a professor of operations, information, and decisions at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the author of How to Change. “They think, If I want to get fit, let me go to the maximally punishing StairMaster at the gym and grind it out, because that’s going to get me to the end goal fastest.” However, she notes, research shows that people who pursue the same goal (like fitness) but choose a slightly less efficient tactic that’s more fun (such as Zumba with a friend) do it longer. “We should spend more time looking for ways to do things that will actually be enjoyable in the moment, because then we’ll keep doing them,” says Milkman.

6. Make it easier to practice good habits

“Every habit has a cue and reward that helps certain behaviors transition from being something we want to be doing to something we’re repeating constantly,” says Montminy. By tapping into that cue-reward framework, you can make new behaviors automatic. For instance, maybe you want to avoid your phone first thing in the morning. Instead of putting it next to your bed, Montminy suggests setting a gorgeous crystal there. When you see that in the morning, you’ll remember to take a few deep breaths before jumping into your day, and you’ll feel calmer.“

7. Pinpoint your obstacles

One of the reasons we don’t succeed at achieving a lot of our goals, whether they’re New Year’s resolutions or others, is that we don’t do a lot of work to figure out what the barriers to our success are,” Milkman points out. She says a particularly common barrier is the tendency to overvalue the thing that makes us feel good in the moment (like buying the newest iPhone even if it doesn’t fit into our budget) and undervalue potential long-term consequences (such as credit card debt). To avoid stumbling blocks like this, try to identify them ahead of time. If you’re trying to save money, for example, look at the month ahead and highlight days you know will be busy when you’ll want to splurge on takeout for dinner, then stock up on ingredients for quick homemade meals instead.

8. Expect to feel uncomfortable

We’re not advocating that you put yourself through trauma, but know that big changes aren’t easy. Let’s say you’re trying to cut back on sugar. “It’s going to be a hard week or two if you’ve been eating processed foods and you’ve been subsisting on sugar,” says Montminy. “Your body’s going to go into some changes that are uncomfortable.” Do what she calls “peeling the onion”: Recognize your discomfort and dig beneath that surface feeling. Even though you’re not getting a hit of dopamine from sugar, maybe you have a tiny bit more energy or focus. Hang on to that as you move through the discomfort, and know that because the change you’re making is healthy and beneficial, you will feel better in the long run.

9. Pair chores with pleasures

Want to study more? Set aside a tasty snack to eat only during study sessions. Want to see a certain relative more often? Commit to going to your favorite restaurant only with that person. “I’ve done research showing that if you combine something that you find tempting with something that feels like a chore and only let yourself have that temptation simultaneously, it gets you to do more of the chore,” says Milkman. In fact, when study participants are either given a gift certificate for a bookstore and encouraged to exercise more or given an enjoyable audio novel they can listen to only when they’re working out at the gym, the latter group ends up exercising significantly more. “Now the workout is not painful—it’s a source of pleasure,” explains Milkman.

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10. Reward yourself!

When you hit milestones—no matter how tiny—celebrate them! “All those small wins eventually will add up to the big win,” says Smallidge. If your goal is to get more sleep, your celebration could be as small as a sticker placed on the kitchen calendar every night you go to bed on time or as big as new silk PJ’s after a month of no caffeine in the afternoons. Recognizing little achievements will keep you motivated to stick with your behavior changes—and remind you how great it feels to make progress!

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Talk to the people holding you back

Let them know that this behavior change is important to you and that you really need them to be supportive, suggests Smallidge. Sometimes people don’t realize how serious you are or even that they’re sabotaging your efforts, she says.