SMART Goals

Get SMART About Your Goals

What do you hope to accomplish in the next six months? Is this the year you commit to losing weight? Is now the right time to ditch a job you hate and find your dream job? Whatever your goal, NOW is the only time you will ever have to determine what’s most important to you and put a plan into action to accomplish your goals.

The example given below is designed to make you think more seriously about setting goals. In order to reach any goal, whether it is related to business, family, health, fitness, education, or something else entirely, you need to make sure you do five things.

First, make your goals as specific as possible. Make sure the goals are measurable, so you know when you have reached them and can move on to others. Keep them action-oriented, so you have a plan of attack to make each goal become reality. Keep them realistic so you don’t get discouraged and lose your motivation. Finally, give them a time stamp so that you commit to action and follow through.

Specific

If one of your goals is to lose ten pounds, fine. That’s certainly a specific and measurable goal. But let’s look at why that is your goal. Is someone telling you to lose that weight? Have you chosen that number because it’s what you weighed in college? Or does some medical chart tell you your BMI is too high?

What if, instead, you gained 10 pounds of muscle mass and lost 10 pounds of fat, reducing your percentage of body fat to 18% but without a net loss of a single pound? If you had more energy, more stamina, felt and looked better in your clothes, and could wear that strapless dress you’ve been dying to wear, would THAT be more appealing to you than “losing 10 pounds?”

In other words, determine what your ULTIMATE goal is, as well as the reasons behind it. Perhaps it’s not so much a specific number, but rather the energy and good feeling that would come from doing whatever you’d need to do in order to lose weight — make healthier food choices; get good sleep; move more; and make a weekly commitment to a friend.

You may discover that your goal is completely different from what it started out to be.

Measurable

If your goal is to be healthy, it will be difficult to assess when you have actually reached that goal.

Your concept of health probably differs greatly from everyone else’s. If “health” to you means never getting the sniffles, you may need to try anything ranging from eating a few oranges a day to giving up gluten. If “health” means being able to climb a hard route without any injuries or enjoy a tough hike without knee problems, that will require a different sort of plan.

If “health” means managing your disease without having to visit your doctor once a year and thriving in movement, connection, and sleep, that plan will look very different from someone who wants to complete an Ironman in under 8 hours.

The point of setting “measurable” goals is making sure that you can tell on a regular basis whether you are making progress so you can adjust what you are doing.

Action-oriented

A goal of reaching 25% body fat by losing a pound a week and gaining 1 pound of muscle a month is a specific and measurable goal, but how, exactly, are you going to reach it?

That’s where we sit down together and plan out your next ACTIONS–what sort of cardiovascular workout do you need to do? How long? How often? What counts?

What changes do you need to make in your diet? What happens if you struggle?

What sort of strength training program would help you gain lean muscle?

Oftentimes, in this step, having an expert–a fitness consultant, coach, doctor, nutritionist, or trusted friend– can help provide you with suggestions and advice that will motivate and educate you.

Realistic

Keep your goals within the realm of possibility, or you will get discouraged. Ditching all junk food may feel like an insurmountable task. But adding an egg to your breakfast or a salad at lunch is totally reasonable and realistic.

Climbing Mt. Rainier after only training for a month is not realistic for anyone, especially if they’re starting out from the couch. Hiking five miles could be.

Losing ten pounds in a month might be realistic if you have a considerable amount of weight to lose, whereas for someone else, it could actually be dangerous.

Time-stamped

And finally, assign a deadline to your goal. Write them down on paper. Put them on your calendar and remind yourself daily of your commitment, your goals, and your actions. Without this last piece, your goals will only be daydreams, and “someday” wishes. Commit to making SMART goals and start working toward them today.