SMART Goals
Exercise Goal Setting and Planning: Part 1
This is part one in a five part series on goal setting.
Improving your health and fitness without any goals is like going to the grocery without a meal plan and a list. You waste a lot of time, you spend more money than you need to, and you come home still not knowing what you are eating that week.
Having a goal motivates us and helps keep us focused on what is most important. One of my favorite things I do with my personal training clients is setting one-year goals. I ask them to come up with 1-3 goals that they would like to achieve in the next year. I like one year goals because it allows them to think big and then we break down those goals into smaller achievements throughout the year.
When I ask people what their health and fitness goals are, inevitably I get some answers like “I want to be more toned", or “I want to have more energy.” The idea behind the goal is good but the problem is that there is no way to measure when one has reached that goal. This is where S.M.A.R.T goals come in.
Making sure that your goals are S.M.A.R.T will ensure that you have chosen a realistic goal with a deadline and a defined way to measure your progress. Lets look at each part.
Specific
Your goal needs to be specific and limited to a single area. For example, “I want to be in better health” could translate into “I want to lower my blood pressure to a specific number” or “I want to be able to hold a plank for one minute.” The more specific the goal, the more focused and motivated you will be.
Measurable
Your goal must be trackable with a defined measurement for when you achieve that goal. Let’s use the example of “I want to be more toned.” Think about what that means to you. Does that mean you want more definition in your arms and upper body? That requires strength training. Maybe your goal is to be able to perform 8 full push-ups by one year from today. Maybe its to perform one un-assisted pull up. Those are both specific, measurable goals.
Attainable
Goals should be challenging but possible. If you have never run and your goal is complete an ultra-marathon, one year is not going to be enough. Start with a 5K as your first goal and then go from there. You also need to have the resources to attain your goal. If you have no access to a bike or water than completing a triathlon is not an attainable goal.
Relevant
Make sure that your goal is aligned with your values and other life goals. For example, if you are saving up to buy your first house then don’t choose a goal that comes with a lot of expenses. If you just had your first child, now is probably not the time to choose a goal that requires a huge time commitment.
Timely
Your goal must have a timeline. Deciding “I’m going to get in shape” does not work. Instead, think about what that means to you and how long it may take. If you are totally sedentary, you may decide that “I will work up to walking 60 minutes, 3 days a week by 9 months from now” is a much better defined goal.
Now that you understand S.M.A.R.T. goals, lets set some! Think about where you want to be in your fitness journey one year from today. Make sure to think about why this is important to you. What resources do you need? How will you measure it? Is it realistic and worthwhile to you? How will you fit it in your schedule? Set at least one goal and no more than three. Check to make sure that your goals don’t conflict with each other but compliment each other.
Did you set you goal(s)? Congrats! But that is only step one. In the next post on goal setting we are going to examine the barriers we may encounter and plan for them so they don’t stop us.
During this series on goal setting, this is the goal that I will use as an example to walk you through the steps:
Goal: I will complete a 5K run in one year from today.
Write your goals down and then move on the second post in this series. Please share your goals with me in the comments, I’d love to hear them!
