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SMART Goal Setting

Posted Jan 14 2012 3:39pm

I'm a slacker...in the blog world at least...In the real world I've been pretty busy! I can honestly say that I miss blogging on a regular basis. Does that make me a nerd? So be it. If you're a blogger then you completely understand that, although you may not have time to write a post, you are constantly thinking about what your post will be about, or how great that photo you just took will look on your blog! So, it looks like I've got some catching up to do.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and holiday season!
Ringing in the new year for a lot of people means new year's resolutions ringing in your ear. This year make a resolution for good health that you can stick to! Make your goals SMART so that they won't fizzle in February!

SMART:

Small and Specific

Measurable

AchievableRealistic Trackable

Small and Specific- Small goals mean that you are more likely to achieve them. For example, say you want to lose 30 pounds overall--so your goal is "to lose 30 pounds". That can be overwhelming to take in all at once, and you may become discouraged when the pounds don't melt off fast enough. Instead shoot for 10 pounds at a time. So you set your goal as "lose 10 pounds". Once you reach that goal, then you set another 10 pound goal and so on until you reach your final goal weight. The perks? Each time you lose 10 pounds you have reached a goal! Celebrate! Then you get to start with a fresh goal of losing 10 more pounds.

Bad Example Goal: I will lose 30 pounds. (Overwhelming and discouraging, right?)
Small Example Goal: I will lose 10 pounds. (Much better!)

Keeping your goal specific will help you visualise what it is you are actually trying to do and will help you stick to it.

Measurable- Making your goal measurable is key to your success. Why? Because we all like something to hold us accountable right?

Bad Example Goal: I will exercise more.
Measurable Example Goal: I will exercise 3 times per week
Another Measurable Example Goal: I will exercise 3 times per week for 30 minutes each time.

See how saying 3 times per week makes you accountable? If you say you will exercise more, then you are able to keep putting it off. (I mean, "more" could simply mean once a month, right?) On the other hand, if you keep your goal measurable (I will exercise 3 times per week), then by Wednesday if you haven't exercised at all you know you better get on it for the next 3 days in order to meet your goal.

Achievable- Be honest with yourself! If you haven't ran since middle school, you wouldn't want your goal to be "run 4 miles per day"... Setting unachievable goals is setting yourself up for failure; which will likely lead to your giving up all together.

Realistic- Be realistic. Every body is different. If you are 5'10, you wouldn't want to weigh 120 pounds...a strong wind would blow you away! If you have never weighed 110 in your life, but all of a sudden you want to set a goal to go from 160 pounds to 110 pounds-don't. Say you were born with a body like Oprah, but you set a goal to look like Beyonce...You'll only end up disappointing yourself in the long run. Set a goal that best fits you! Let's say your goal is to increase your vegetable intake. You set a goal to eat 4 vegetables at every meal...Is that realistic? Some days; maybe, but more often than not, no...Say your goal is to walk to work, do you live in an area that makes that a realistic goal?

Trackable- Set a goal that will allow you to monitor and keep track of your progress. This includes setting a deadline. Once you reach your deadline, you can look at the progress you've made. Track your changes, feelings, and progress all along the way.

Now, let's put it all together for one super SMART goal!

Good:
I will exercise 3 times per week this month for 30 minutes each time.

SMART break downI will exercise 3 times per week this month for 30 minutes each time. (small and specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and trackable)

Gooder (Kidding) Better:
I will lose 8 pounds this month by exercising 30 minutes per day, 3 days per week for the entire month of February.

The SMART break down:
I will lose 8 pounds (small and specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and trackable) this month (measurable, achievable, realistic and trackable) by exercising 30 minutes a day, (small and specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and trackable) 3 days per week for the entire month of February. ( measurable, achievable, realistic and trackable)

Best: I will lose 2 pounds each week this month by walking 30 minutes per day, 3 days per week for the entire month. (What makes this the BEST goal? The fact that walking is stated instead of exercise...be as specific as possible so you can't cheat yourself!)

SMART break down:
I will lose 2 pounds each week this month by walking 30 minutes per day, 3 days per week for the entire month. (small and specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and trackable)

See how making SMART goals can help keep you on the right track? There is no room for excuses...with a SMART goal, you know exactly what to do (Lose 2 pounds per week by exercising), when to do it (3 times per week), and for how long (Exercise for 30 minutes) ! Be nice to yourself and stick with only one or two goals to begin with. Achieve those goals, and keep on going! It doesn't have to be health-related. Set SMART goals for all areas of your life!

What's your SMART goal?

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