Tiss the season of resolutions. Do you want to know how to make a goal that you can

actually stick with? If so, listen up. Welcome back to Savvy Psychologist. I'm your host,

Dr. Monica Johnson. Every week on this show, I'll help you face life challenges with

evidence-based approaches, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.

If you listen to my panel episode last week, then you're aware of my general thoughts

on New Year's resolutions. Often, they end up being a source of shame for us, because

they are poorly constructed, vague, too lofty, or rooted in our insecurities. All of these

elements mean that we aren't set up for success. On top of that, depending on how we set

up the goal, it can confirm our unhealthy beliefs about ourselves. When constructing a New

Year's resolution, or just an everyday goal, your first step is to think about the source

of this resolution. I'll use the common New Year's resolution for weight loss as an example.

You want to ask yourself, why do I want to lose weight? Do you think you'll be more

likable if you do so? Are there size six genes you've been dying to fit into? If so,

what does fitting into those genes mean for you? In this case, it might not be the size

of your hips that's the problem, but deeper self-esteem issues, and you should reassess

your goals accordingly. Does that mean you can't set a goal around your health? Absolutely

not. The steps I'm going to outline will work for any goal that you have. Also, follow

me on Instagram, and I'll show you how it's done, and you can share your progress with

me as well. Today, we are going to talk about smart goals, and yes, it's an acronym. New

year, same all me. S is for specific. When setting a goal, you want to be specific about

what you're trying to achieve. Statements like, I want to lose weight, or make more money,

or too vague. Instead of saying you want to make more money, you might say that you would

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