SMART Goals Q&A with Dr. Robin Aupperle

Now that the initial fervor of New Year’s Resolutions has passed, you have plenty of time to consider what is most meaningful to you and develop goals that may truly fit with those values.

We talked with LIBR principal investigator Dr. Robin Aupperle about how to combat the tendency of people to abandon their January 1 resolutions—and instead use SMART goals to make lasting life changes.
 
Q: How are SMART goals different from something like a New Year’s resolution?
RA: Good question. There’s a tremendous push—internal and external—to start the New Year with a big, transformative resolution. For instance, I’ve heard resolutions like “I’m going to work out every single day this year,” “I’m going to save 50% of my salary,” or “I’m going to lose 50 pounds,” none of which are likely to be realistic. Some of these goals may also relate to what people feel they “should” do rather than necessarily being related to what is truly important for that individual.
 
Q: Those seem lofty, but if we don’t try, we’ll never do it, right?
RA: It can be very challenging to change our behaviors and ingrained habits. In order to be successful, the new behaviors have to be rewarding and reinforcing in some way. This feeling of reward can come from feeling successful and accomplished for being successful, or from engaging in something we value and enjoy.
 
Q: What’s a better approach?
RA: SMART goals offer a great framework for how to think about goal-setting. SMART is an acronym that helps identify and quantify elements of the goal you’re setting.
 
Q: How does that work?
RA: SMART stands for:
S          Specific         
What is the specific goal that someone wants to accomplish?
“I want to increase my stamina and endurance so that I feel healthier.”
M        Measurable   
What data will be used to measure the goal? How will I measure it?
“I will start by doing something that raises my heart rate for 20 minutes two times a week. My long-term goal will be to work towards 30 minutes, three times per week. I’ll make a calendar to chart my progress and keep myself accountable.”
A         Achievable    
Is the goal doable? Do you have the necessary skills and resources?
“I will walk around my neighborhood (around the office, or at the mall) after work on Mondays and Thursdays, inviting friends to join me.”
R          Relevant        
How does this goal align with your values? Why is the result important?
“I know I need to be less sedentary for my health. I want to be healthier in order to feel like I have more energy throughout my daily life and live longer.”
T          Time-Bound
​What’s the timeframe for accomplishing this goal, beginning to end?
“I will focus on 20 minutes, two times a week for two months and assess my progress and modify my goals as needed.”
 
Q: That’s a lot of work!
RA: Much of this relates to all the thoughts going on in our heads when we are considering behavior change. This just provides a framework for organizing these thoughts, and making them specific. The main idea though, is that any attempts at change offer helpful information. If you aren’t successful in your first attempts, the key is to not get down on yourself! Simply consider what obstacles got in the way and how you can modify your plan to be more effective. For example, this could include starting smaller and breaking things down – for example, starting with walking around the block ONE time, ONCE per week to begin with….and then working up from there. Any amount of successful change goes a long way towards motivating further change.
The University of California created this SMART goals template—it’s really good. You can use it to write your own SMART goals:
 
Initial Goal (Write the goal you have in mind):
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1. Specific (What do you want to accomplish? Who needs to be included? When do you want to do this? Why is this a goal?)
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2. Measurable (How can you measure progress and know if you’ve successfully met your goal?):
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3. Achievable (Do you have the skills required to achieve the goal? If not, can you obtain them? What is the motivation for this goal? Is the amount of effort required on par with what the goal will achieve?):
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4. Relevant (Why am I setting this goal now? Is it aligned with overall values?):
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5. Time-bound (What’s the deadline and is it realistic?):
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S.M.A.R.T. Goal (Review what you have written, and craft a new goal statement based on what the answers to the questions above have revealed):
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Q: Do you have any SMART goals you’re working on?
RA: I am working towards building strength by focusing on lifting weights when I am at the gym. My initial goal is to go twice per week for 30 minutes each time. I am going to re-assess my goals in two months to consider if I should modify my goal. This is important to me because I want to be stronger to keep up with my kids, who are very into ninja warrior right now! I also have non-health related goals, such as writing a children’s book, which I have broken down into several steps needed to work towards that goal.
 
Dr. Aupperle has initiated research projects at LIBR investigating neurocognitive and behavioral predictors of treatment response to behavioral activation therapy for depression and exposure therapy for anxiety.  In addition, she is taking the lead in LIBR projects investigating predictors of success for females enrolled in a criminal diversion program and factors related to mental health resiliency in college students.