It’s that time of year again! As we all look back at the year that was and ahead to what 2023 might bring, many of us will be thinking about setting goals. A big goal of mine is to get back on the daily exercise habit once again I started with our #LaceUpForLungs event in October. I fell right out of that routine once we hit November and all the temptations of early holidays rolled in (not to mention our first winter storm)! Fortunately, I have not lost much ground on most of my fitness goals. These few weeks have also been a lesson that goals are exactly that. They are something you hope to achieve. They do not define you as a person. They do not set your worth to yourself or others. And if you do not reach a particular goal, that does not mean you are a failure. It just means you need a little more time or a different strategy.
I think people tend to get caught up in the idea that goals have to be these huge, epic things. Sure, sometimes they are; for example, when I graduated from respiratory therapy school, I set some lofty goals for my career. But more often than not, huge goals can set you up for failure. I have run into this a lot when helping people work to quit smoking. Research tells us that only about one in ten people can quit “cold turkey” for more than about six months. That is just enough for most people to know someone who did it, so they figure they can too. But those are not good odds for anyone. When someone has some trouble, they may start wondering if there is something wrong with them, when the reality is they just need a different approach.
Most people know that quitting smoking is a good idea. I think how you quit is just as important as that you quit. You have to set yourself for success over the long term. That means working with health care professionals, friends, and family on a good strategy, and it means setting the right goals for yourself. We can look to the business world for some help here. That is where the idea of S.M.A.R.T. goals comes from. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym that helps us set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely.
Anyone can use S.M.A.R.T. goals on their journey to quitting. Let me give you some examples:
- SPECIFIC: "I want to cut down on my smoking and eventually quit."
- MEASURABLE: "My first step will be to smoke only half as much as I am smoking now."
- ACHIEVABLE: "This is something I CAN do for myself and those close to me."
- REALISTIC: "I have a better chance of getting this done than quitting outright."
- TIMELY: "I can achieve this goal in the next 30 days."
Sometimes, these goals are turned into S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals by adding Evaluate and Reward. At the end of your timeframe (in this case 30 days), you can look to see if you have cut down by your goal amount. If so, that’s great! Treat yourself to mark your progress. If not, that’s still OK! Now is the time to look back at what some of your barriers were and take another shot at overcoming them.
I would like to hear from you in the comments below. Have you ever used S.M.A.R.T./S.M.A.R.T.E.R. to help you set goals? What were some of your milestones in quitting smoking or in other areas of your health journey? Are there other things you have done to set realistic goals for your success? I look forward to hearing all of your ideas!