Do you find yourself scrolling on Instagram, seeing fit people who either post videos of themselves exercising, or photos of them wearing beautiful outfits that bring out their curves and abs really well? Every year, many get a gym membership due to the promotions offered by gyms in the first week of January. Then they start visiting the gym less and less, and before they know it, they’re back in bed, huddled up in pillows and blankets, watching the newly-released “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Catch Me If You Can” on Netflix. Then there’s always those five words that people utter when they have realized that they failed their short-lived resolution: “Well, there’s always next year!”  Whether their resolution is something related to fitness or improving their mental health, there is always a point where they think that this year just isn’t the year for them to work on that. There is hope for every college student, as well as faculty and staff, that they can stick to their goals from 2020 to 2021 and beyond. The SMART goal system is a great idea when considering the ends. The first step is to make sure a goal is specific and not too general.

The first step in coming up with a SMART goal is to make sure your objective is specific. It cannot be set or finished if it doesn’t have any direction. When setting a goal, remember to ask these questions:

• What is this goal seems specific enough to commit to?
• Why is this goal important?
• Who is involved in this goal?
• Where am I going to in order to accomplish this goal?
• Which resources or limits are involved?

If these five questions can be answered, then someone is one step closer to making a goal a reality.

Second, make sure that the goal is measurable so that progress can be tracked. This can boost motivation. See if a goal is realistic and attainable. Remember to research a goal to check if it is affordable. For example, someone shouldn’t attempt the One Punch Man Challenge if do they not have the physical capacity to perform one hundred squats, push-ups and sit-ups each, as well as a 10-kilometer run every day for a month or a year. 

Third, make sure that the goal is achievable. There are several questions to keep in mind such as how can one accomplish this goal? How realistic is the goal, based on other limitations, especially financially?

Next, check to see if this goal is a realistic goal. It may be helpful to compare a new year’s resolution to a larger goal that one might have. Some might just want to lose weight and gain muscle.  Others might specifically want to pass health exams and join an ROTC program or enlist in the military.

The following questions could be useful when finalizing a goal:

• Does this seem worthwhile?
• Is this the right time?
• Does it match other larger goals?
• Is it affordable?

Finally, Goals can sometimes be time-sensitive. Making sure a goal is timely is the final step when finalizing a goal. Having a timeline helps organize time in order to work toward a goal.  Decide how much time is available to work towards the goal, and how will it fit into a schedule.

The SMART goal system is an overall great way for people to create goals and new year’s resolutions. It gives people the perspective and tools to execute and accomplish their goals.