You’ve spent some time focusing on your dreams and aspirations — your vision for a healthier tomorrow. Now, how do you turn those dreams into reality?

The answer is simple: Set some goals.

But be careful, not all goals are created equally. In order to improve your chances for success, it’s wise to craft your goals using a SMART framework.

The SMART goal method helps you identify and implement goals that are both realistic and actionable. Using the SMART goal approach, you can identify goals that can lead to positive change and then establish the right route to get there.

Take the First Step

Setting effective goals is not accidental. Using SMART goals, you’ll take intentional and achievable steps toward improved well-being. The SMART goal framework can be applied to wellness goals for financial, physical, and psychological health. With a SMART framework, you break the goal into actionable pieces, and then set milestones and deadlines to mark progress. It’s a structured way to help ensure your goals are more than good intentions.

Ready to learn (or refresh your knowledge of) the SMART goal approach? With this interactive e-learning on setting SMART goals, you can craft the right goal for your success. You will explore each component of the SMART acronym as you hone a goal that you really want to achieve.

Find an Accountability Partner

You’ll dramatically increase the likelihood of reaching your goals if you find a partner or support group. A partner can offer support, help you identify roadblocks and find solutions, and supply encouragement as you work toward your goals. Equally important, a partner can hold you accountable for taking the necessary steps to meet your goal. Better yet, you can provide support to your partner as he or she works toward his or her goal.

One study published in the Psychology of Sport and Exercise showed that having friends with good exercise habits can impact your own habits. And a study from Indiana University showed that married couples who went to the gym together had only a 6.3% dropout rate compared to the 43% dropout rate of those married couples who went on their own. Read about these studies. Identify a partner for support who will hold you accountable, and schedule a time to get started today!