Remember at the very beginning of the year when the excitement of a new start was fresh and you set the perfect resolution to improve your life? Now that the year is no longer new and the excitement may be faded, are you still working toward that resolution? If not, that’s okay! Business Insider says 80% of people drop their resolutions by February.

But, even though it isn’t the new year anymore, you don’t have to give up until next year! Reassess your goals, make them SMARTER, and try again! It’s easy to make any goal a SMARTER goal with this method used by Valley of the Sun United Way trained financial coaches.

What Does Making a SMARTER Goal Mean?

SMARTER stands for the 7 steps of making a clear goal, which can be the difference between seeing what action steps to take in order to reach your finish line, and letting yourself slip and give up.

• Specific - Make sure your goal is very clear and detailed.
• Measurable – Set something easy to tell when it is accomplished.
• Action-oriented – Think about what actions are needed to meet this goal.
• Realistic – You don’t have to go big with your goals, set something that feels attainable.
• Time-bound – Setting a time frame for your goal helps give a push in motivation and an idea of when to accomplish your actions to reach the end. If it is an ongoing goal, maybe your action items can have timelines to keep your ongoing goal strong.
• Evaluate – Take a look at when you may need to reassess goals, by improving your goal with a SMARTER goal you are evaluating now!
• Re-Do – When you evaluate, go through the SMARTER steps to make sure your goal still makes sense

If you have ever had a goal on your mind that means it was really important to you at some point. Think about what made you strive for that in the first place. This can help reinvigorate that excitement you had at the beginning of the year as you get back up and headed toward your goal with a new SMARTER focus!

Local Coaches Teaching SMARTER Goals

Through a free financial coach training with United Way, financial coaches in Maricopa County are learning how to teach SMARTER goals to their clients, turning dreams into reality and making a habit of goal setting. You can support programs like this to help families improve their financial stability and break the cycle of poverty with a gift to United Way.

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