If you want to change your health substantially, you’ll have to set smarter goals. You can’t lose weight and keep it off, or set your eye on a target like running a marathon without smarter goals. You need motivation, focus, and a step by step plan to ensure they become a reality.
But what does that mean? How do you make smarter health goals? You can take a lesson from the well-established SMART goal tool in time management.
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time. If you include each of them in your goal setting technique, you have a better chance of turning your goals into reality. Here’s how.
Specific - be specific with what you are aiming for. It will help keep you focused and help you see your end result.
Measurable - in order to achieve a goal, you have to know if you’ve reached it. “Eat better” can take on an infinite number of meanings. “Eat 5 servings of vegetables every day” is something you can measure.
Achievable - we’ve all had wild goals on our to-do lists that stay there month after month, year after year. Part of the problem is believability. Is it something you believe in, or is it more of a pipe-dream? You have to be able to grasp the concept of getting your goal done.
Relevant - are you able to accomplish this goal? Is it realistic given your circumstances? If you travel every week for work, for example, being at home to join a class may not work for your schedule. And if you fail in the first few days of setting your goal, there is no way you’ll ever see it through to the end.
Time - set a time to finish. “Lose ten pounds in ten weeks” gives you a deadline. It’s what you need to stay true to your goal.
Think about your last set of goals; did you succeed or fail? If you failed, it might be because you didn’t have the right criteria to make them smart goals. Give this a try as you make your health goals for the coming year, and see if you stick with them.