By Jirzia Blackman, LCSW-S—CEO-Founder 

Embracing the spirit of a new year offers a great opportunity to set realistic resolutions that prioritize mental well-being in 2024.

Resolution: Embrace a mindset that values progress over perfection. Acknowledge and celebrate small achievements on the journey toward a healthier mind, understanding that growth is a continuous process. 

Approach your resolutions with patience, self-compassion, and a willingness to adapt as needed. This will pave the way for a year focused on nurturing and prioritizing your mental health and mental wellbeing. 

SMART goals are a framework created by George Doran, Authur Miller and James Cunningham in 1981. We will use this framework to emphasize the idea of setting realistic resolutions. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable and Relevant and Time-bound objectives. SMART goals provide clarity and specificity. They help individuals clearly define what they want to achieve, reducing ambiguity and making the goal more tangible. 

Specific: You should clearly define your goal. Be specific about what you want to achieve, avoiding vague and generalized concepts or ideas. 

Measurable: The measurable aspect of SMART goals allows for tracking progress. This helps individuals stay motivated as they can see tangible advancements toward their resolution. Establish criteria to track progress and determine when the goal has been achieved. Include quantitative or qualitative metrics to measure success. 

Achievable: The achievable criterion ensures that resolutions are set within realistic and attainable parameters. This helps individuals avoid setting overly ambitious goals that may lead to frustration. Ensure that the goal is realistic. Consider the resources, skills, and time available to determine if the goal is achievable. 

Relevant: Align the goal with broader objectives and ensure its relevance to your overall vision or plan. Confirm that the goal contributes meaningfully to your larger aspirations. This alignment can motivate the individual while enhancing the significance and impact of the resolution.

Time-Bound: The time-bound aspect introduces a sense of urgency, prompting individuals to establish a timeline for achieving their goals. This helps in planning and managing time effectively. Set a specific timeframe for accomplishing the goal. This creates a sense of urgency and helps in planning and prioritizing tasks. 

Embracing the practice of setting SMART goals contributes to fostering a positive mindset. By adhering to the principles of specificity, measurability, achievability, relevance, and time-bound planning, individuals not only work towards their objectives but also experience a sense of accomplishment. This process encourages the cultivation of a healthy mindset as individuals prioritize self-care and elevate their needs. Recognizing the interconnectedness of self-care and caring for others, the journey of setting and achieving SMART goals becomes a holistic approach to well-being. By taking care of yourself, you take care of others. 

SMART goals increase accountability. When goals are specific, measurable, and time-bound, individuals are more likely to take responsibility for their progress and actively work toward success. This improves your self-esteem and over all mental wellbeing. 

SMART goals provide a clear direction, fostering motivation and focus. Having a well-defined goal structure helps individuals maintain their enthusiasm throughout the year. Which also improves your overall self-worth. 

Being successful and moving forward are the goals. Research suggests that individuals who set SMART goals are more likely to achieve them. The specificity and structure of SMART goals contribute to a higher success rate compared to vague or loosely defined resolutions. Don’t be hard on yourself, with compassion and kindness, don’t hesitate to set a goal this year. If you fall off, it’s okay, growth is continuous, just get back up and try again. You miss every shot you never take! 

For help setting SMART goals contact us at 210.286.9339 and schedule an appointment today.