When setting goals in life, I like to use SMART goals. S- Specific, M- Measurable, A- Attainable, R- Relevant, T- Time Based.

This goal setting approach helps solidify goals and makes them more realistic. For instance, if I person has the goal of losing weight, their long-term goal may be to lose 20 pounds in 4 months.

Once a person’s SMART goal is set, it’s important to break the bigger goal into smaller, short-term goals. Using the same example as above, a SMART short-term goal may be to lose 5 pounds in the next month.

After these goals are set, breaking down the goal even further into daily or weekly action steps is important. Using the same example, this person needs to lose about 1- 1.5 pounds a week in order to reach their goal. This means cutting out around 3,500 calories a week from their diet, or 500 calories a day. An action step would be to cut 500 calories a day.

Using the format of SMART goals to set long-term goals, short-term goals, and action steps makes it much more manageable to reach your goals. It helps organize the process and helps you feel more in control. Big goals can seem impossible, but taking one day and one step at a time is the way to succeed!