The start of the new year is a great time to reflect on the past year and look at how we can adjust and improve all aspects of our lives. Instead of setting unsustainable health goals at the beginning of the year such as working out every single day and eating “clean” 100 percent of the time, let’s talk about setting “SMART” goals that we will be able to stick with throughout the whole year. 

SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely. When setting new goals, whether it be dietary, fitness or even financial, this is a great tool to use. Specific: clearly state the goal we are looking to achieve. Measurable: make the goal quantifiable. Achievable: being realistic and attainable in a given time frame. Relevant: aligned with our overall goals and priorities. Timely: set the goal for a specific deadline or timeframe.

Let’s go through an example of a SMART goal. Specific: I will drink eight glasses of water per day. Measurable: I will track my water intake in a journal or using a water tracking app. Achievable: I will keep a water bottle with me throughout the day and refill it regularly. Relevant: Drinking enough water is essential for overall health and hydration. Timely: I will do this for the next month. This is how we can set ourselves up for success. When we broadly set goals such as “I’m going to lose 50 pounds in 2025,” we’re setting ourselves up for failure because there’s no action plan to execute this goal.  

Further Tips for a Healthier Lifestyle

It’s all about creating new habits, which can be very challenging. So here are some tips to help us succeed. First, start small. Example: Instead of saying we will work out every day (highly unlikely we stick to this), let’s start with “I will go for a two-minute walk three days out of the week.” Next, associate that new goal with something else so that we remember it. Example: “I will go for a two-minute walk after dinner three days out of the week.” Lastly, give ourselves credit after doing this habit. It’s extremely important to associate any new habit we are trying to create with a positive emotion. When we do the opposite (such as “dreading” to go to the gym), this tells our brain this is not a good habit, and we shouldn’t continue it. Consistency is key when creating new habits. If we are having a hard time sticking with our new habit, go even smaller with the goal (i.e., one minute of walking after dinner). It sounds silly, but it’s a lot easier to commit to one minute versus one hour. More times than not, we’re going to walk for more than a minute anyway. 

Now it’s our turn. It’s 2025, and we need to decide what we want this next year to look like. Grab a journal and start writing down goals. Then, take each goal and create some “SMART” goals out of that while using the habit-forming tips. We will be surprised how much easier we achieve these goals as well as create new healthy habits. Feel free to share goals with someone else or seek out a coach or provider that can help with accountability and work through any barriers that may come up. Remember, give some grace. No one runs a 5K overnight. They start with walks, then short runs and finally make their way to running a 5K.

Jennifer Brannigan, RD, LDN, IFNCP, CDCES, is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist. For more information or to make an appointment, visit www.FunctionalDietitian.com.