You are here. Maybe you have already started your journey of self-discovery and healing through therapy, or maybe you are still considering it. Wherever you are at currently, it is important to know then when beginning to embark on this personal journey it can be challenging, it may begin to feel overwhelming and maybe even unclear. You may question your motivation and commitment and begin to wonder if you will ever see and have that sense of accomplishment. Well good news, that is what setting collaborative, specific, measurable, and achievable goals can do. Throughout your therapeutic journey, your therapist will support you in setting goals that will help you on your personal journey, making changes that are relevant to you, and support you in achieving them.

Goal setting is grounded in motivation theory in that working towards and achieving goals offers a continuous positive feedback loop that helps to improve one’s self-efficacy, self-determination, self-confidence, and motivation to continue to strive1. Goals can be short- or long-term, broad, or specific and can be made for all aspects of life including personal, professional, helping to change a habit, or to generate success in anything.

So, what is the best way to set a goal? Using “SMART” goals. “SMART” is an acronym used to help individuals create detailed and achievable goals. The acronym “SMART” stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time bound. Using SMART goals allows you to see changes and progress through your therapeutic journey. Here is a breakdown of the “SMART” Goals acronym:

Specific: You need to be clear on your goal and what you want to achieve. Try asking yourself, “what exactly am I hoping to accomplish with this goal?” For example, “I want to journal more” is not very specific whereas “I want to journal 3 times a week for one hour” is more specific.

Measurable: Think about how will you track your goal? How will you be able to track the progress you’ve made towards your goal and be able to see the improvements you have made? If you are tracking your journaling, try using an app or calendar you can check of which days you journaled.

Attainable: Is your goal something that you are reasonably able to do? If you have a very busy schedule, perhaps carving out one hour at a time is too difficult. Starting with 30 minutes may be more feasible for your schedule. Relevant: The goal you set should be important to you and should align with your life and values. If wanting to improve your emotion regulation is a priority, journaling about your feelings could help to start to make the change.

Time Bound: Setting a deadline or timeline for when you want to complete your goals helps to keep you motivated and accountable. For example, if you are wanting to journal for 3 times a week for one hour, setting this goal to be accomplished in the next 4 weeks, would allow you a time frame to be held accountable to. It would also give you an end date for when you can revaluate your progress and make any changes necessary as well as evaluate the barriers or challenges faced.

Although the idea of setting goals can be sometimes scary and difficult, the good news is, is that your therapist can help you in setting and achieving your goals. The role of your therapist is to help you determine your starting point and understand exactly where you are in your journey. Like with any task or goal, there will be setbacks and challenges. Your therapist will also help you to work through and discuss strategies and skills to possible obstacles and barriers to achieving your goal. One thing to remember is that, when you set your SMART goals, you will often find yourself revaluating your goals as you grow and progress. Be open to challenging new goals and changes as they come.

Jacob, J., Stankovic, M., Spuerck, I., & Shokraneh, F. (2022). Goal setting with young people for anxiety and depression: What works for whom in therapeutic relationships? A literature review and insight analysis. BMC psychology, 10(1), 171.

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