San Francisco CBT Series: Successful Goal Setting, Part 1
San Francisco CBT Series: Successful Goal Setting, Part 1
For most people, the new year is often a motivation to set New Year’s resolution. The start of a new year is seen as a time for fresh starts, inspiring goals, and self-improvement. In this spirit, each year, millions of people set New Year’s resolutions. Yet, few of those people are still on track a month or more into the year. In this San Francisco Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Series, I’m sharing ways I help my clients and myself to successfully set and meet goals.
Goal setting seems simple on the surface.
Essentially, you define what you’d like to accomplish and take the necessary steps to make those accomplishments a reality. Right? Setting and achieving a goal requires more than simply deciding and wishing it.
If setting and achieving goals were easy, there would be more happy, successful people running around. Setting short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals for yourself can be a great way to achieve success in different areas of your life. If there are things that you want to achieve or ways that you want to grow, setting goals as stepping stones is an important part of getting there.
In this 2-part blog post, I will talk about some of the best ways to approach setting goals and taking action that can help you succeed and accomplish your goals.
SMART Goals can help you set and meet your goals successfully.
One of the best ways to have successful goals is to ensure that each of your goals or New Year's resolutions fits the SMART formula. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. When your goals have these characteristics, you are much likelier to achieve them.
Here is the strategy to setting SMART goals:
Specific: SMART goals are specific. This means that you want to have a specific goal in your mind. This can include a goal that is based in numbers. A smart goal may be "Go on 2 dates each month," or "Meditate for 20 minutes a week." Both are specific goals without any vague phrasing which means there is little left open to interpretation. The more specific your goals are, the clearer it will be when you finally achieve them. You can also break your larger goals into smaller short-term and medium-term goals. Each smaller goal should be phrased just as specifically in order for them to be attainable and achievable.
Measurable: SMART goals are measurable. This is another reason why smart goals are numbers based. To know whether or not you achieved a goal, you must be able to measure your progress. SMART goals are goals that you can track and measure that have a clear end or point of attainment. Being able to measure your progress is important in goal setting and goal achievement. It helps you determine whether or not you're moving in the right direction, since you can clearly track and measure both positive and negative progress along the way.
Attainable: SMART goals are attainable. Smart goals are goals that you can actually attain. They're not extremely farfetched goals like "Run 1 marathon a week," because if there's no way to achieve the goal, why set it? SMART goals are goals that you're physically and mentally capable of achieving.
Realistic: SMART goals are realistic. SMART goals are not only attainable, but they are realistically attainable. This means they include a combination of specific achievements that you can reach and a time frame that is realistic in attaining that achievement. For example, a SMART goal would be "Lose 10 pounds in 90 days," for a healthy weight loss of 3 to 4 pounds per month, rather than "Lose 10 pounds this week
Timely: SMART goals are timely. Smart goals have time frames that are realistic. When you put a realistic time frame on your goal, it gives you something to work towards. To simply "Lose 10 pounds," or “Meet new people,” without a time frame, often causes a lack of motivation. For example, "Attend 3 networking events this month" has a realistic time frame that gives you something to work towards with a date for completion.
Setting SMART goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely, is one of the best ways to succeed at setting and achieving the right goals for what you want in your life.
In my next blog post, San Francisco CBT Series: Successful Goal Setting, Part 2 , I will give you some essential tips to build upon SMART goals. I’ll talk about mindset, and how to approach your goals in ways that are meaningful, which will help you achieve your goals. I’ll also talk about how to engage your intention to help drive your motivation to make your goals a reality. So, stay tuned and check back soon!
Successful goal setting is often used in depression and anxiety therapy.
Many people come to therapy with mental health goals such as decreasing depression, anxiety, and making positive changes in their behaviors and habits. If you’re looking for depression or anxiety therapy in San Francisco, contact me. I help you set some goals and take action towards them.
FREE consultation for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in San Francisco, California
Successful goal setting can be done by yourself. But sometimes it’s difficult. I can talk with you about the changes you want to achieve and help you set goals that you can achieve with steps to take and accountability. Contact me for a free 15-minute phone consultation.
Specialties include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Therapy for depression, anxiety, work stress, relationships, and life changes.
In Case You Missed It! Additional Blog Posts in this series:
San Francisco CBT Series: Successful Goal Setting, Part 2
San Francisco CBT Series: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Part 2
San Francisco CBT Series: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Part 1
