Real Talk: New Year, SMART Goals

By Dr. Nikki Watkins, Clinic Director, and Jenny Lynne Stroup, Outreach Coordinator, for the Cohen Clinic at VVSD

www.vvsd.net/cohenclinicsandiego

New Year, SMART Goals

The start of a new year is a time to reflect on the past year, both the challenges and the successes, and identify what you will leave behind because it is no longer serving you, and what you want to carry with you into the new year.

Starting the new year with a goal or resolution to improve some area of life can be beneficial for some, yet it can be a source of stress for others.

Even for those of us who start out feeling positive about the new (or renewed) goal we have set for ourselves, that goal can sometimes become a source of selfjudgment if we do not meet our definition of success. This self-criticism can lead to an increase in anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem as we desperately push ourselves to accomplish the goal. Sometimes these feelings derail us completely because we believe we’ve identified yet another area of our lives where we are not meeting the mark.

Dr. Nikki Watkins, offers the following healthy approaches to setting a New Year’s resolution:

• Set SMART goals. In the field of mental health, setting SMART goals is widely practiced by clinicians to help set their clients up for success in therapy. This same practice can also translate to setting resolutions. To see growth in yourself, it is helpful if the goals are: These actions do not need to be grand, sweeping gestures of change. Simple actions, like reading a book before you go to bed at night or doing a couple yoga poses first thing in the morning may give you the infusion of joy, comfort, or peace you’ve been seeking.

Specific–Measurable–Achievable–Realistic–Time bound

• Curb all-or-nothing thinking by focusing on the concept of “progress…not perfection.” • Choose to focus on what is going well, as opposed to what is not going well. • Be mindful of your self-talk. We all have an inner critic that can run rampant if we aren’t careful. • Practice self-compassion and talk to yourself as you would talk to a dear friend in a similar situation. • Practice mindfulness by accepting your current situation as it is, without judgment. Awareness and acceptance are the precursors to positive change. • Remember that each day is a new opportunity to try again.

If goals and resolutions are not your thing for the new year, perhaps ask yourself where you would like to infuse more of something - like fun - into your life? Is there a hobby you’ve wanted to try? Do you like to be out in nature?

The past few years have been challenging. As Dr. Watkins’ suggests, awareness and acceptance are two of the best tools we have to affect positive change in our own lives. Being aware that the load of the last few years has left you run down is OK. Accepting that is true is necessary for you to move to the next step-action, allowing you to implement what you need in this new year.

Whatever goals, resolutions, or infusions you chose for yourself this year, we, at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD wish you a healthy New Year and are here to support you in your journey to get back to better.

To learn how therapy can help with mental health challenges, visit www.vvsd.net/cohenclinicsandiego