It’s that time of year again when we put the pressure on ourselves to set New Year’s resolutions.  Resolutions and goal setting can be a really healthy form of self improvement, but when not achieved, can breed a feeling of failure and can be demotivating.  So today I’m going to mix my biz school knowledge from (eek) 5+ years ago with nutrition, to give you a simple formula for actually achieving your goals!  Try to keep each of these factors in mind for any type of goal setting.

1. Specific

Is your goal specific? For example, you might say, “I want to be healthier.”  That is a pretty general statement.  Whereas, “I want to increase my vegetable consumption from three servings to six servings a day” is much more specific. (And, a great goal if you ask me!)

2. Measurable

Can you measure your goal? It’s pretty hard to measure ‘wanting to be healthier’; but it’s simple to measure three servings versus six servings of vegetables.  The more measurable a goal is, the easier it is to track.  Similarly, if you track your progress towards achieving a goal, the more likely you are to achieve it.

3. Achievable

Is your goal achievable? It’s not that your goal has to be easy, but you do have to ask yourself if it is something you could achieve.  For example, “I want to eat six servings of vegetables every day of the year”.  Well, chances are you might not be able to do that.  But, “I want to eat six servings of vegetables six days a week” is much more attainable.

4. Relevant

Is your goal something that you want to achieve and that you are able to work towards?  In my opinion, most food/health topics are relevant, as everyone has to eat, so this one is easily covered. 🙂

5. Timely

Finally, does your goal have a good time frame?  To say that you will do work towards a goal for all of 2014 might be unrealistic.  You very well may adopt this into your daily routine for the entire year, but to sign up for a goal for the entire year seems daunting, so instead, try for a shorter time frame, like the month of January.  Then, when you achieve your goal after a month, set a new, more stretching goal.

What goals will you be setting this year?