It Is Time To Get SMART About Your Goals
“It’s Time to Get SMART About Your Goals!” by Sam Grout
BY Sam Grout| December, 05 2018 Leave A Comment
Are you good at setting goals, but not quite the master at hitting your target? You’re not alone. And fortunately, you’re not a lost soul either. If you start to break down your goals into a few simple steps, this could be the difference between feeling that your just all talk and not getting things accomplished.
Start being SMART: What is SMART? Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Let’s take a look at what each of these mean, and how you can apply them to reach your goals in life.
1. Specific
You’re much more likely to achieve a goal if you get specific. But most people don’t realize how vague their goals actually are. Take a look at this example:
I want to lose 10 pounds.
It sounds specific enough, but do a little digging, and you’ll find there’s a lot more to losing weight than meets the eye (as you likely know). In fact, the overwhelming online dieting options we have these days is what keeps many people paralyzed. So, start breaking it down by talking yourself through the process required, step-by-step…
You could ask yourself these questions:
To start out, do I do cardio, weights or eat less?
How often do I need to go to the gym? Do I need to incorporate strength training and yoga into each week? When can I go each day? Can I schedule this into my calendar just like another meeting and just do it?
Getting specific will not only give you clarity of what’s required, but it will also make it less daunting because you have a specific area to focus on.
2. Measurable
Establish concrete criteria so you can evaluate your progress as you go. Break your big goal down into small targets that you can track.
Using our example from above, you could decide that you will get up one hour earlier each day and go for a walk for week one and week two you will start to do a jog/walk, post a status update once a day in your journal to track your progress. Now, you’ve got a set item that you can add to your workout list, just like you would any other task—and you can cross it off your list as “done”. Your goal is now in action.
3. Attainable
You want your goal to be a challenge, but also one that you truly believe is possible to achieve. Don’t say you’re going to run a marathon this Summer if you have not even started working out and are going away for a two month trip to Costa Rica.
Can you see yourself starting to jog 10 minutes a day for 5 days a week? If you know you can do it, and you start meeting your quota, you’ll notice that you’ll gain momentum. Goals that once seemed out of your reach become attainable, and you’ll grow and expand to match them. Not to mention you will start looking better in your clothes and losing weight.
4. Relevant
Your goals should feed into your main purpose, so you must get in touch with the underlying purpose tied to your goal.
For example, if you want to do backbends, your priority will be to improve your strength in your arms and increase range of motion and flexibility. In this case, you’d want to go to your local studio, do yoga at home and search out instagram and social media for tips on how to improve backbends. I personally love the posts that show someone from 2017 and now in 2018 and showing the progress. Take pics along your journey so we can see the progress.
Make sure you review your goals on a regular basis—at least once a month. That way you can track your progress, and ensure you’re actions are in line with your vision.
5. Time-bound
Set a deadline for you to achieve your goal. It will give you a sense of urgency and also help you keep things in perspective in real time. For example, you want to lose 4 pounds every month for a total of 20 pounds lost in six months. This way, you go from having a “someday” kind of plan to having a concrete guide for the months ahead. Good luck and see you on the mat!
