Be SMART, set goals!

Goals are one of the most important aspects to getting all the way to where you want to be with your Health, Fitness, and overall Wellbeing. Whether you want to run a marathon, be “beach ready”, be more relaxed; whatever it is, setting goals will help you get there. It can sometimes be discouraging to think about how far we have to go to get to where we want to be, but remembering that everything in life happens in small steps can help. Setting SMART goals will help to keep things in perspective and keep on the right track.

SMART stands for:

• S – Specific
• M – Measurable
• A – Attainable
• R – Relevant
• T – Time Oriented

Rather than saying for example, “I want to lose weight”, start thinking about the specifics: “I will walk for 30 minutes 3 days this week after work.” Ask yourself these questions: Is the goal specific enough? Can I keep track of wether I am achieving the goal or not?  Is the goal realistic for me? Will this goal put me on the path toward the end result I want? Have I set a specific timeframe to achieve the goal?

Another example: rather than, “I want to be more relaxed”, Think of the specific things you could do to help yourself be more relaxed: “I will take at least 30 minutes every day to read”, or “I will do yoga 3 days per week for at least 30 minutes.” Try out your own.

Some Tools to be Successful:

• Make a chart for yourself to track your goals.

• Re-assess your goals often to see if they are effective or may need to be modified.

• Work to identify barriers that need to be addressed to help you be successful.

• Start from where you are and work your way to where you want to be one step at a time.

• Be honest and stay accountable to yourself.

• Keep a positive attitude, some setbacks are normal, just keep going!

• Set up healthy rewards for yourself along the way for achieving larger goals.

Whatever it is that you want to achieve, SMART Goals can help get you there!

Browse our Merchant Directory to incorporate the assistance of a lifestyle coach or personal trainer to help you get all the way there.

Author: Tony Montijo, BS Kinesiology, CPT, CES