Set a SMART Goal

Quick Win

Choose a new habit based on one of the six pillars of brain health. Give the practice staying power by making your goal SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound.

Try This Today

• Specific and measurable. Steer clear of vague goals like, “I want to get in shape,” in favor of specific plans like, “I’m going to play pickleball twice a week.” Track your progress on a calendar.
  
• Attainable. Instead of pledging to do the unachievable, like never eating unhealthy food again, set a plan you can pull off: “I’ll eat veggies or fruit with every meal.”
• Relevant and time-bound. Align the goal with your long-term objectives: If you want to expand your social network, your goal could be hosting a monthly dinner. And give yourself a deadline: “I’ll host my first dinner in September.”

Why

Setting strategic goals may help you start healthy habits that support brain health, such as getting enough sleep, eating a nutritious diet, managing stress and exercising regularly. Goal setting using techniques similar to the SMART method helped adults ages 18 to 64 who were sedentary or not getting at least the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per week be more physically active. That’s from a systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 studies involving a total of 1,208 participants published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health in 2024.