Fanci S.M.A.R.T Goals

When starting your journey to a healthy lifestyle you may find yourself at a loss not knowing where to start. The acronym S.M.A.R.T is often used when setting goals not just in the fitness world but in life in general. S.M.A.R.T stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely goals. So when making your goals you want to make sure you follow this guideline to help keep you on track and motivated. This blog will break down each letter to the S.M.A.R.T Goal setting strategy so that you can help build your plan in achieving your goals.

Specific ~ A specific goal is such as “I will work out 3 days a week” is more affective and stands a greater chances of being accomplished than a general goals such as “Getting in shape”. To help set a specific goal you need to ask yourself the six “W” questions:

• Who: Who is involved? Is it just you or are you setting a specific goal with a friend or two? If you are setting a goal with a group remember no competing is allowed. You focus on you and let them focus on them. You are only there to keep each other accountable and to encourage, motivate and praise each other for you accomplishments.
• What: What do I want to accomplish? Whatever it is make sure you start small and work yourself up to bigger goals so you don’t feel discourage. Where: Identify a location. Whether it be the outdoors, local gym or at home.
• When: Establish a time frame and make sure you allow yourself the time you need to accomplish your goal. If time is a factor for make sure you schedule you workouts in as if they were daily meeting or appointments.
• Which: Identify requirements and constraints. Know what it takes to achieve your goals. Many times there is more to achieving a goal than one may think. It is not just exercise you have to take time to factor in but eating right and making sure you mindset in on point. 
• Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal. This is the most important question you need to ask yourself. Your “Why” is what is going to keep you from giving up when you feel like you are going nowhere. Never let go of your “Why”

Measurable ~ You need to make sure you have a way to measure you progress and preferable more than one way. By doing this it will help you stay on track and encourage you to move forward once a goal has been achieved by setting another goal. Way’s to help measure that do not involve the scale are:

• Measuring yourself, just make sure it’s the same spot and side of the body every time you measure.
• Write down your progress when it comes to exercise, how is your endurance, are you lifting more weight, can you do more pushups than when you started are you running faster etc.
• How do you feel? Are you feeling more energetic, happy and overall better quality of life? Has blood pressure gone down? Are clothes looser? If you have any health conditions prior to starting and they have gotten better you need to give yourself a huge pat on the back for that.

To help determine if you goal is measurable ask yourself:

• How much? How many?
• How will I know when it is accomplished?

Attainable ~ When you start identify your goals that are the most important to you begin to figure out ways you can make them happen. You develop a plan, change your attitude, and find abilities that you weren’t aware you had to help reach your goal. You may even see previously overlooked opportunities to help bring yourself closer to achieving your goals. Goals that may have seemed impossible will eventually seem possible simply because you grow as a person and being stronger and wiser than ever before. You realize that you are worthy of your goals and dreams and the only limit in achieving your goals is yourself.

As long you have a plan in mind on achieving your goals and plan it wisely and realistically you can and will attain any goal you set before yourself. Yes life gets in the way but as I say “Obstacles are those pesky things that get in our way when we take our eye off our goals”. So all you need to do is regroup and focus and never give up.

Also you may find that in journey to attain your goal that you goal may actually change. That is ok and completely acceptable and does not mean you are a failure or quitter of any sort. It simply means you are finding out who are and what you really want out of life.

Realistic ~ You need to keep your goals realistic. In order to do that you goal must be something you are both willing able to work towards. I often suggest creating a goal pyramid that way you have both short terms goals and long term goals to help Start off with a daily goal, then weekly goal, monthly goal, 3 month goal, 6 month goal and year goal. You are the only one that can decide how high or difficult your goal should be but you should always make sure each goal represents a step towards progress. You goal also becomes more realistic if you yourself believe that you can accomplish it. So believe in yourself and in your ability.

Timely ~ This is where the goal pyramid I suggested above comes into play. A goal should have around about time frame because without one there no sense of urgency and or desire to achieve that goal. . By putting a goal to a time frame you set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working towards that goal. That is why the goal pyramid works because you start with easy goals and work yourself up to the hard goals while seeing your progression along the way.

And finally don’t just be proud of yourself when you reach your goal or goals but proud of yourself each step you take towards your goal.