2022 Goals: New Year's Resolutions that are SMART and Effective

Are you planning on making some 2022 goals this month? Here’s how to make them in an effective, SMART way…

Each year, I make a list of New Year’s resolutions to guide me through the next 12 months. I admit that half the time those goals go unmet, but I’ve never been really bothered by this fact.

That’s because I almost always learn something from my goals – especially the “failures.”

When I was brainstorming my 2022 goals, I did what any serious goal-setter would do. I began researching planners. After days of weighing the merits of A4 or A5 sizes, soft or hard cover, I chose the Clever Fox Planner Pro.

I chose this rather pricey planner because of its heavy emphasis on goals and breaking them down into manageable chunks. If you are looking for a goal-oriented planner, this is a great option to consider.

Now that I was set with the tools (because I also had my very favorite Uniball Signo gel pens), I needed to get to the planning.

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Learning from years past

I think it’s as important to learn from goals as it is to meet them. If, like me, you make resolutions every January, then this is less about one year and more about an ongoing process to improve your life and relationships, and reach success in the areas that mean the most to you.

So, looking back at the goals of 2019, 2020, and 2021 is vital when making those 2022 goals. In the past, I have set my resolutions in a variety of ways, including:

choosing a word to describe my year
choosing things to savor, like family, faith, hobbies & passions, and health
picking a theme to guide my yearly activities

And from these past years I have learned that I often make too many goals to accomplish, I spread myself too thin, and I don’t always make them easy to complete. Making SMART goals (aka Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals) makes all the difference to New Year’s resolutions.

How to make SMART 2022 goals

Specific: You want your goals to be specific enough that you can actually accomplish them. A goal like “become financially stable” isn’t the same as “save 30% of my pay, open an IRA, and cut my expenses by half.”
Measurable: If you can’t measure your goal, how will you know if you met it? “Lose weight” can be measurable if it becomes a goal to “lose 10 pounds” or “fit into my favorite jeans again.”
Achievable: Not being realistic can make goal-setting disappointing, as you are setting yourself up for failure. I know that even if I want to travel the world, right now, that goal is unachievable because of the season I am in.
Relevant: I have trouble with this one because I am always going in too many directions at once. But making goals that are relevant to where you want to go and do this year is really important. Don’t pair the goal to buy a new car with one to cut expenditures.
Time-bound: Choosing a time frame to complete your goals is important, especially for the procrastinators and perfectionists. New Year’s resolutions usually have this built in, as you only have a year, but for smaller goals, don’t be afraid to set due dates at 3 months or six.

My 2022 Goals

While researching goals, I was excited to hear this podcast with Gretchen Rubin, an author who I like for her emphasis on both happiness and productivity. This episode talks about 22 for 2022.

Instead of making a big goal, you choose 22 smaller goals to complete over the year. This is the perfect marriage of goal-setting and to-do list checking-off. In other words, my kind of goal worksheet. I downloaded it and, after some deep thought, came up with my 2022 goals:

Complete 4 units of Duolingo Chinese
Knit a scarf
Complete a cross-stitch kit
Read 12 classic novels
Complete the first draft of my own novel
Decrease my library loans by half
Hang curtains in the living room and bedrooms
Double my email subscriber list
Run a race, either 5k or 10k
Work through a beginner’s piano workbook
Treat myself to a massage every 3 months
Explore something new and interesting in my city each month
Get a facial
Hire a professional house cleaner 2-3 times a year for a deep cleaning
Set aside 30 minutes a day for quiet time to pray, meditate, and reflect
Have lunch with my husband once a week
Clear my desk every day
Keep the grocery budget under $1000 each month
Spend an hour alone with each child each week doing something they like
Return to my pre-surgery weight
Save half my earnings
Create a sustainable homeschool plan for each child’s individual needs

Are your 2022 goals SMART?

Why these goals?

Some of these may seem easy, but if they made it to the list, then they aren’t easy for me. Grocery budgeting, meeting all 5 of my kids’ homeschool needs, and learning a new skill (piano, knitting, etc.) are all challenges that I want to undertake for myself and my family.

I admit that some of these stretch the SMART goal format. Lunch dates with my husband require his participation and time as well as mine. Is getting a facial relevant to my other goals of saving and budgeting? So why did I include them?

I often use my resolutions as a way to give myself permission to do things I usually ignore, especially in the area of self-care and hobbies. And these 2022 goals are no different. I find it hard to use my time on myself, so by making it a goal, I change the way I look at it.

Trying to uphold the SMART framework when setting goals will improve your chances of success. But remember to always make them true to you and your life. No two people are the same in what they want for their year, so honor that uniqueness by making your 2022 goals reflective of your individuality and personal needs.

I hope this post helps you get ideas for your own 2022 goals, how to set them and what will increase the likelihood of success in the new year. Comment here or on social media to let me know about your goals and goal-setting techniques. We can all learn from each other!

Good luck!

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