Goal setting is frequently cited as a method for fulfilling long-term aspirations. Still, few people take time to articulate the things they want into achievable goals. Goal setting for adults involves more than thinking about what you want in life. Many small goals can compound to help you achieve your life dreams — and this process begins with setting the most efficient goals for you.
Defining Goals, Values and Habits
Goals are things you want to achieve and are willing to commit to with action plans. A goal is different from a value or a daily routine because you have to strive for a goal until it is complete. Values can lead to goals, and daily habits can push you closer to achieving them, though all three are distinctly different concepts. The following are examples of how values and habits could contribute to goals:
- If you value being healthy, your goal could be to exercise for 30 minutes every day for the next month. Schedule these 30-minute exercise periods into your daily routine, and keep track of your progress.
- If you value productivity at work, your goal could be to improve your typing speed by 15 words per minute. You could plan time to take a practice test each evening and record your results over the next month.
Goals should guide your behaviors for the long run. If you achieved the above examples, it is more likely daily exercise and an improved typing speed would become regular habits in your life. Consider starting with a larger lifetime goal, then breaking it down into SMART goals you can achieve with smaller daily steps.
What Are SMART Goals for Adults?
SMART goal setting is a powerful process that helps you establish specific and helpful goals to guide your life. Use the following SMART acronym for effective goal setting:
- Specific: Use specific facts and events. Vague goals can be easily skipped over, since they have less direction.
- Measurable: Identify concrete details like dates, times and amounts you can track. Measure your progress so you know when you’ve completed a goal.
- Achievable: The most effective goals are challenging yet attainable. Set yourself up with plans you can achieve through dedication and focus.
- Relevant: Create goals that relate to your most significant desires. The results should be rewarding and motivate you to keep going.
- Time-bound: Aim to achieve your goals in a set time frame. When goals are time-bound, you are less likely to put them on hold.
Make Goals Realistic
Effective goals set you up for success. When setting SMART goals, remember to factor in details you can reasonably achieve. If a goal requires more time or money than you can feasibly spend or more experience than you can attain, you should reevaluate your plans. Break these goals into smaller achievements or look for different approaches that can lead to a similar outcome. Ensure you include specific, measurable details in your goal statement that you can realistically achieve within the time frame.
Make Goals About You
Most people set goals to improve their quality of life. Each goal should be something you are committed to changing or improving — whether related to personal health, a specific relationship or something in the bigger picture. While the advice of others can provide valuable insights, you must ultimately choose goals for yourself. A dream you “should” tackle or a plan made at the request of someone else can often feel like a stressful obligation rather than a goal. Consider all the benefits you genuinely want to achieve from goals before setting them to improve your mindset.
How to Set Goals for Yourself
Whether your life goals are personal, social or professional, you should concentrate your thoughts on paper first. What motivates you most? Where do you want to be in the next five years? Put a new focus on your life with thoughtful questions, clear goal statements and an achievable plan for success.
Start With a Goal Statement
Goal statements use SMART terms to transform your initial idea into something achievable. Adults who use goal-setting exercises can expect more consistent results. The following guidelines will help you create an effective SMART goal statement:
- Write out what you are most motivated for or most want to happen in your life.
- Use the SMART terms to rewrite this idea into a realistic goal statement. The goal should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
- Ensure the goal uses positive language. Rephrase your goals as something you want to strive for rather than something you want to eliminate.
Consider Multiple Areas of Life
As you make your goal statements, it is helpful to think about multiple aspects of your life. Individual, interpersonal and professional desires usually drive people to action, so your goals should be focused around these areas. Consider the following categories when setting personal goals, then do the same for your social and career goals:
- Things you want to experience and accomplish
- Improvements you want to make for your mental and physical health
- Habits you want to change or start
- Relationships you want to improve
- Skills you want to learn
Consider your reasons for pursuing each goal to ensure your final goal statement matches the bigger picture. Goal statements should empower you to transform your current life into the life you desire, though you must take additional steps to achieve them.
Tips for Achieving Goals
Create an action plan of manageable goal-taking steps for each goal statement. Commit to implementing a few steps each day to ensure you remain motivated. The following guidelines can help you succeed at your goals:
- Set priorities: Avoid becoming overwhelmed by multiple goals and direct your attention to the most important ones first.
- Search for better ways to measure progress: Find a method that works for you and stick with it. Spreadsheets and journals are excellent ways to track your progress.
- Structure your schedule: Set goals with time frames of 90 days or less and schedule a little time into your calendar each day for your goal-taking steps.
- Know how far you’ve come: Motivate yourself with a list of what you have already achieved and the things you are actively doing to meet your goals.
- Create accountability: Find a support system that will help you hold yourself accountable. Tell friends and family about your goals, and consider counseling. Outside help encourages you to keep going.
- Reward yourself for successful days: Positive reinforcement can help you maintain that success. Celebrate when you achieve a goal before diving into the next one.
- Persevere through setbacks: If you fail to accomplish your step for the day, recommit to it the next day. It’s also beneficial to reevaluate efforts that are too big and make adjustments.
- Get inspired: Imagine yourself reaching a goal through positive visualization. Read stories about the success of others and feel reassured that you can do it too.
- Reframe how you view success: Fear of failure is pervasive, and it often holds us back from achieving our goals. Define success through your efforts rather than your results with a never-give-up attitude.
- Continuously evaluate your progress: Your goals might change or evolve along the way, and it’s OK to adapt your plans accordingly.
Why Setting SMART Goals Is Important
Goal setting is essential for young adults because it provides direction toward a long-term vision. Goals help you decide what you want to achieve and are one of the most effective ways to motivate yourself. When you set clear goals for the future, you can nurture inner strengths and passions, do what makes you happy and focus on the bigger picture. SMART goals help you organize your time and resources to accomplish what’s most important. Effective goal statements lead you to positive emotions, relationships and achievements. Goal setting can also help college-age individuals explore opportunities for their future, and counseling is a helpful place to communicate your goals.
Contact the Professionals at Merrimack Valley Psychological Associates for Personal Development
Your goals are possible. Whether you already have SMART goals or want to set more effective ones, the professionals at Merrimack Valley Psychological Associates are here to help you make positive changes in any area of life. Therapy can assist with more than just mental health concerns — our counseling services offer helpful resources for your personal development and goal setting. When you share your goals and progress with a professional, you put yourself one step closer to achieving them. Improve your quality of life, and contact us today for flexible, clinically tested treatment that best accommodates your needs.
Reviewed By
Dr. David Rainen, PsyD.
I am a licensed clinical psychologist with an extensive background treating a variety of different ages, situations, emotional and mental health disorders in individuals and their families. As part of my 10 year professional and training career in psychology, I have developed and refined my skills and approaches through my work in a variety of diverse settings including: hospitals, community outpatient facilities, college counseling centers, secure and unsecure inpatient/residential treatment programs, and therapeutic day schools.