Body and health: Our Editorial Director Shares Her Secret to Successful Goal-Setting

srijeda, 1. siječnja 2020.

Our Editorial Director Shares Her Secret to Successful Goal-Setting

From the Editors: Our Healthy 2020 Visions

Emily Rose, Editorial Director

Join us over the next few weeks and get inspired for the year ahead as our team of editors shares our healthy goals and visions for living Verywell in 2020.

I'm totally a list person. If it's not jotted down in a notepad, organized in a spreadsheet, or added to a calendar (or two)—it's not going to happen. It makes me feel productive, holds me accountable, and gets me excited for the possibilities to come.

Every year around this time, I find myself making a list of goals for the new year on my phone. So it's natural (and a little cringeworthy) to reflect on the goals of New Years past.

Did I "learn to play the guitar?" Nope. Didn't even try. Did I "strength train for real this time?" Uh, not exactly. But the goals that did stick had one thing in common—they were SMART goals. They were specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based:

	•	Read 35 books this year. After reading 25 books in 2018, this felt like an attainable goal and time spent reading has always been a relevant form of stress relief for me.
	•	Run a spring marathon—and enjoy the experience. I realize "enjoying a marathon" sounds a little crazy and is a slightly less specific and measurable goal. But after a serious back injury that left me physically weak and emotionally broken, I had my eyes set on the London Marathon. I can proudly confirm it was not the fastest, but it was the most fun I've ever had running 26.2 miles because I approached my training with lots of positivity and gratitude for my body.
	•	Never miss a weekly date night (or day). You make time for the things you love, right? So this was an easy time-based goal my husband and I set to spend more quality time together without distractions. We'll likely re-up in 2020.

As you can see, I think the best goals are also fun and make you feel good.

Here at Verywell, we believe your vision of healthy living is yours to manifest—based on making choices that help you grow into your best self, not on "fixing" past "mistakes." We also believe that even the smallest steps can add up to the most impactful changes.

While there's nothing magical about today's date, there's no time like the present to get started. So join the Verywell editors as we share our healthy visions for living Verywell in 2020!

As for me, I have a new, smart list to make.

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