We all have goals. Whether we want to lose weight, gain muscle, increase sports performance, or maybe just increase the quality of our daily living. These are all great goals to have but without proper planning and thinking realistically they may never be accomplished. We need to start making “SMART” goals. “SMART” is an acronym for the five measures of a great goal. These are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timed.
Specific
Make the goal clear cut and to the point. Saying you want to just lose weight is too vague and most likely will never be accomplished. A better approach to this goal would be to be specific in the exact amount of weight you would like to lose and set a date when you will begin this goal.
Measurable
Always measure your progress. If you are not consistently measuring your weight, body fat, body girth measurements and strength then how will you ever know if you are progressing and getting closer to you goal. If you are unsure of how to measure body fat/body girth measurements or want a professional to handle it a personal trainer can be a great investment!
Attainable
Asking yourself if this goal is actually attainable is very important. If you say you want to lose 20 pounds in a month that’s an unrealistic expectation. and you will most likely get discouraged and quit when you don’t meet that goal. Instead aim for a more attainable number like 1 to 2 pounds a week. Hitting these numbers consistently over the long term can add up and keep your mindset positive to keep striving for more!
Realistic
Realistic goals are similar to attainable ones. You need to ask yourself if the goals you set are realistic for the time frame. Can you actually lose 10 pounds this month or is your schedule going to be too busy for that. Sometimes you need to scale your goals back. Maybe you only aim to lose 5 pounds this month. Then strive for 8-10 the following month because you know you will have more time and it will be more realistic.
Timed
Setting a time frame for your goals could be the most important part to goal setting. If there is no time frame on your goal, there is no sense of urgency and you will continually put it off. Setting a specific time to have your goal accomplished will keep you on track and constantly pushing yourself to meet that deadline.
Goal setting is a process and takes some practice to set realistic and attainable goals. Just stick to the SMART system and you should be on your way to setting and accomplishing all your goals and more!
Written By: Robert Jost NSCA-cpt, ACE-cpt
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