Setting a goal can feel big and daunting. SMART goals can help you break down a large goal so that it is more achievable. This is done in a way that provides both structure and accountability, which is why I love using this tool with clients!
Like, ok I want to write a book, yay! That’s so amazing! Then…cricket…cricket…what’s next?
Do I have an illustrator make a cover?
Do I find a publisher?
Do I do conduct market research?
Should I just write the damn thing first?
Insert SMART goals to help you plan your roadmap to ensure you reach your goals. Let’s break it down…
Specific
When you set your goal, you want to be as specific as possible.
Think about the following:
- What exactly am I trying to accomplish?
- Who will be involved?
- When do I want to reach this goal?
- What about this goal is important to me?
So instead of a goal such as “I’m going to marry the love of my life this year” we might change that to 1 specific piece such as “I am going to go on 1 date a week” (we also might want to change our expectations on that one, lol)
Or as fitness is usually a common popular goal this time of year, rather than saying your goal is to “Get in shape,” you might be more specific to say “Lose 10lbs in the next 3 months”
The more specific you can be, the easier it will be to create the rest of the plan.
Measurable
Measures are I would argue, the most important piece of SMART goals because they tell us not only if we are on track, but they provide extra accountability so we know what to aim for.
Using our fitness example above…
S: “Lose 10lbs in the next 3 months”
The following measures for this goal may look like:
- Walk 30 minutes 3x a week
- Log food daily to track nutrition
- Attend Zumba class with Dina on Mondays and Fridays
- Weigh self twice a month to track progress
Keep your measures between 1-5 items. The more measures you have, I’ve found the more likely you are to self-sabotage.
Think about how many actions you will take and what you are trying to accomplish as you decide on what measures you put in place.
Attainable
Now we need to see if your goal is actually doable.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Is this a reasonable goal in the timeframe specified?
So if you said “Lose 20lbs in 1 month” that would not be reasonable as it’s healthy to lose about 1 lb a week.
- Are my measures doable?
Going extreme here, if we said one of your measures was to “run 5 miles a day” and you’ve never run before that would not be reasonable.
Or maybe if you work 12hrs a day, walking may not be attainable if you do not have time outside of work, for example.
S: “Lose 10lbs in the next 3 months”
M:
- Walk 30 minutes 3x a week
- Log food daily to track nutrition
- Attend Zumba class with Dina on Mondays and Fridays
- Weigh self twice a month to track progress
A: Yes, my goal is attainable because I have the time to work on my measures and I am allowing myself sufficient time to reach this goal.
Realistic
Is this goal realistic? We’ve already started to determine that with our sample goal through the points above. You can already see how SMART goals work here. Now we take it a step further looking at our realistic resources. I like to tie this into the measures…
- Walk 30 minutes 3x a week early in the morning before I get ready for work, tracking on my fitness watch
- Log food daily to track nutrition after each meal
- Attend Zumba class with Dina on Mondays and Fridays through friend accountability and support
- Weigh me twice a month to track progress using my wifi-enabled scale
After you still in the blanks you’ll start to see how realistic this all is and how it comes together. Let’s merge all these parts…
S: “Lose 10lbs in the next 3 months”
M:
- Walk 30 minutes 3x a week
- Log food daily to track nutrition
- Attend Zumba class with Dina on Mondays and Fridays
- Weigh self twice a month to track progress
A: Yes, my goal is attainable because I have the time to work on my measures and I am allowing myself sufficient time to reach this goal.
R: Yes, my goal and the steps to reach it are realistic to my daily life. The skills and resources such as my fitness watch, friend support, a scale, a food tracking app, and a place to walk are all realistic resources I already have.
Want to take this step further?
Download my free Hit List to help you prioritize your goals every day here
Time-Sensitive
S: “Lose 10lbs in the next 3 months”
M:
- Walk 30 minutes 3x a week
- Log food daily to track nutrition
- Attend Zumba class with Dina on Mondays and Fridays
- Weigh self twice a month to track progress
A: Yes, my goal is attainable because I have the time to work on my measures and I am allowing myself sufficient time to reach this goal.
R: Yes, my goal and the steps to reach it are realistic to my daily life.
T: Using my measurements, I will devote about 4hrs each week to reach my goal starting today and ending 3 months after on March 13th with my last weigh-in.
Momentum
SMART goals help you break down a goal and realize it into reality within each of its components.
Keeping momentum every day is what will help you:
- Build reaching your goal into your routine
- Be consistent in your steps to reach it
- Create optimism and further motivation to keep going closer to that finish line
Read my post from last Monday if you need more motivation to get started. The time is now!
Download your SMART Goal planning sheet and let’s get started!
