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It is no easy task trying to stay on top of new goals that you decided to take on. You might find yourself off track by the second week in. If that’s the case, you can absolutely get back on track.
This time, however, you’re going to make a plan and stick with it. This time, you’ll make sure your health and fitness goals are SMART goals. SMART goal stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
Specific
If you state, “I’d like to get healthy”, that does not answer any of the “how” and “when” questions that your health goal should address. How are you going to get healthy?
Rather than just proclaim your desire to achieve good health, write out the specifics of how you plan to create healthy habits. Include such specifics as “I will stop putting sugar in my coffee” or “I will take a 35-minute walk at least 4 days a week”.
Measurable
When considering health goals, there are many metrics to take into consideration. Are you going to weigh in weekly to ensure the pounds are coming off? Are you taking measurements of your body to see if it is shrinking? Will you check your cholesterol levels twice a year?
When making a goal measurable, you will have to decide what your measures of health success will be and track them accordingly.
Attainable
Have you set a health goal to lose 25 pounds by next Thursday? Not only is that not an attainable goal, but it does not sound particularly healthy.
You are far more likely to be successful in achieving your goal if it is a realistic one. When it comes to both your health goal and how long you will need to achieve it, make sure it is something that you can attain.
Relevant
Relevance means that the health goal you set for self is a suitable one. It should be a goal that aids in achieving your long-term objectives.
Will achieving six-pack abs reduce your blood pressure? Will bike riding for an hour a day result in weight loss? Whatever the reason, make sure that your health goals make sense for you.
To determine if a goal is relevant, ask yourself why that goal is important to you.
Time-bound
How long will you give yourself to achieve your health goal? An open-ended goal will not do much for your motivation. If there is an end in sight, this will motivate you to stick with your goal and assess your progress along the way.
Time to Get SMART
If announcing a desire to get fit and healthy was all anyone needed to do get started, then no one would be abandoning those plans after the second week. In reality, you will need to take your health into your own hands. Take some time to think about your goals, review the above advice, and make them SMART. Now that you are equipped with these goal setting tips, you will be well on your way to achieving yours.
