SMART Goals
Posted by: jennschindler on: January 12, 2011
Once you have identified your “motivation” for health and fitness you can begin to create goals that match that driving force. I want to encourage you to write your goals down rather than to have them in your mind. Writing them down serves as a contract to yourself of what you are committed to accomplishing.
Your goals need to be tied to your motivation. For instance, if your motivation is to fit into a certain size of pants, creating a goal to lose a certain number of pounds doesn’t necessarily match that motivation. How can you really know how many pounds you have to shed to fit into a certain size?
In the same respect, if you desire to get down to a certain body fat percentage your goals should specifically address body fat, not pounds loss or a pair of jeans size 8.
I’ll give you some examples of goals using the S.M.A.R.T. structure for goal writing.
Specific
Measureable
Attainable
Realistic
Time-sensitive
Examples of poorly written goals:
Lose weight
- Specific – there is no indication how much weight
- Measurable – yes, you can measure the loss, but there is not a designated goal weight
- Attainable – sure, you can lose weight, but again no specific goal
- Realistic – maybe, depending on the amount of weight and time frame
- Time-sensitive – no time-frame is assigned to this goal
Run a mini-marathon
- Specific – while there is a specific distance there is no time frame for running the race
- Measurable – yes, either you run it or you don’t
- Attainable – possibly depending on when; if you’re not currently a runner to think you can run a mini-marathon in two months probably isn’t attainable
- Realistic – maybe, depending on the amount of time you plan to train
- Time-sensitive – there is no time frame for when you will run it or how long you will train
Example of well-written goals:
Lose 15 pounds in 4 months
- Specific – YES, a quantified amount in a specified amount of time
- Measureable – YES, your scale and calendar will keep you on track
- Attainable – YES, a goal of losing 1 pound a week is attainable
- Realistic – YES, it is realistic to create a 3,500 calorie deficit within a week
- Time-sensitive – YES, a specific time period is attached to this goal
Ride my recumbent bicycle 25 miles a week for one month
- Specific – YES, a quantified number of miles for a given time period
- Measureable – YES, your bicycle and calendar will help you keep track
- Attainable – YES, if you have been riding your bicycle on a regular basis 100 miles in a month is an attainable goal
- Realistic – YES, if you have been riding your bicycle it is realistic to be able to ride 5 miles 5 days a week
- Time-sensitive – YES, a specific time period is attached to this goal
It’s a good idea to have benchmark goals for those goals that are a bit more long-term. Sometimes it can be difficult to think about a big number like 15 pounds so you might want to initially break that into weekly or monthly goals.
Creating short-term goals allows you the chance to celebrate victories more often!
I encourage you today to create at least one long-term and two short-term goals. WRITE THEM DOWN! Then, post them somewhere that you are reminded of them often. If you don’t take the time to write them down or remind yourself of them you will be much more likely to put them off, or worse, forget about them completely.
Tomorrow, I’ll give you some ideas on rewards you can give yourself for accomplishing your goals.
