Tip of the Week

December 30, 2013

Be SMART with new year’s resolutions!

Let’s resolve to make this year’s New Year’s resolutions stick. A great way to ensure we give ourselves a chance to see our resolutions through to fruition is to use SMART goals. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. Here’s an example for your child: instead of his saying “I’m going to become a better reader” (an admirable goal, but a bit vague and lofty), help your child modify that goal into a SMART goal by saying “I’m going to read a book at or slightly above my reading level for 20 minutes each night for two weeks.” By creating a goal that is specific (level of reading), measurable and time-bound (20 min/night for two weeks) and also keeping the goal attainable and realistic, your child is more likely to follow through, stay on task, and meet his goal. It’s when we leave our goals amorphous and ambiguous that they become overwhelming and undoable. So let’s be SMART this year and bring our resolutions through to completion. Wishing you and your family a Happy and Healthy 2014!