If you're going to set a goal, it needs to be SMART. A goal for the future, such as getting fit, getting that job position, writing a book, opening a business, spending time with loved ones, or buying a house, must be SMART.
S.M.A.R.T. stands for the following.
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Attainable
R – Realistic/Relevant
T – Timely
S = Be Specific ~ What, Why, Where, Who, and When?
Determine what your goal is. Consider the "What?" and "Why?" Let's say you want to begin to lose 20 pounds and start a walking program. Now, consider who you want to walk with (if anyone), where you want to walk, and when you want to walk. Your answers to these questions create a particular goal for you to achieve.
Let's say you want to walk at 6 PM on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Mondays and Fridays, you will walk to the beach. On Wednesdays, you will walk to the park with your friend, Toni.
A benefit to setting specific goals is the satisfaction you will feel when you accomplish the same goal you set out to achieve. Randomly waiting for an opportunity to walk and checking it off your list as "Done" doesn't feel as great. What if the opportunity never arises? You must create the opportunity, which is only possible when setting a specific goal.
M = Measurable
Let's say your reason for walking is to drop 20 pounds and lose 4 inches off your waist. An average, healthy weight loss is a loss of 2-3 pounds per week, and it usually takes a loss of 10 pounds to lose 1 inch off the waist. So, at the end of each week, you will step on the scale and take your waist measurements to track how well your walking program supports you. You will also measure your success in terms of how you feel emotionally, mentally, and physically.
A = Attainable
Is your goal within your reach? Can you walk for 30 minutes at a time? A 15-minute walk three times per week with a weight loss of 1-2 pounds might be a smarter goal until you are fitter. Smaller goals are smarter goals. Aiming to achieve too much at once is a surefire way of sabotaging your goals and setting yourself up for low self-esteem.
R = Realistic/Relevant
How realistic is your goal? If it is not something you can or will do, eliminate it. Choose another goal. It must be something you can physically, mentally, and financially achieve and should be relevant. If you have a goal of walking three times per week to lose 20 pounds, you might also set a sub-goal of buying walking shoes tomorrow, which would be relevant.
T = Timely
Once you determine your S.M.A.R.T. goal, write it out in summary. For example, "My goal is to lose 20 pounds by walking three times weekly over the next 8-10 weeks. I will buy new walking shoes tomorrow and walk for 30 minutes each time I walk. I'll walk to the park with Toni on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6 PM. For the other two days, I will be walking at the beach. I am going to weigh myself every Saturday. I'm taking my waist measurements when I lose my first 10 pounds and again when I lose 20. I plan to have lost 20 pounds and 4 inches around my waist by August 15th."
Look over your summary. Is it S.M.A.R.T.? Is anything missing? Would you like to add or change something? Once you are satisfied with your goal, go for it. You can always make adjustments along the way. Make sure they are S.M.A.R.T. adjustments, and you will succeed every time!
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