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Habits of longterm health include setting SMART goals! Drive yourself toward longterm health with goals to hold you accountable.
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I’m back today with the next installment in the Habits of Longterm Health series. Last month, we looked at making a plan and trusting in it. Today, we’re talking a bit more about how to actually make that plan. This topic is a little touchy and probably the habit I look forward to addressing the least. Goal setting. And not just plain ole goal setting, but SMART goal setting. SMART goals are their own special animal and should not be ignored! Let’s dive into this topic and discover how to make SMART goals work for you.
Habits of Longterm Health Review
Remember that habits are formed by following behaviors until they become almost voluntary. It’s unrealistic to expect yourself to make radical changes overnight. Embrace taking things one day at a time.
Setting SMART Goals
You probably have a general grasp on what SMART goals are, or at least recognize that SMART is an acronym — in this case S (specific), M (measurable), A (achievable), R (relevant), T (time-bound). When you think about things you want to do or achieve, those parameters can seem daunting and confusing. And sometimes they are. When my students and I sat down at the beginning of the year to craft SMART goals together, there was many a tear shed — by them and by me. (Kidding! Kind of.)
While goals with SO many steps can be hard to swallow, once you get the process down, it becomes almost second nature. The strict parameters of SMART goals keep you accountable, and therefore, more likely to reach your goals in the long run! This is true for health goals, business goals, and even personal goals. Let’s break out each piece of setting a SMART goal.
S – Specific
When it comes to your goals be as specific as possible. Avoid vague goals such as, “I want to lose 3 pounds.” While that’s totally admirable (and a goal I’ve set for myself a number of times!), your goal should incorporate a plan of attack. Take that goal and expand on it in a way that describes HOW this goal can be reached, why it’s important, and when it will be achieved. Being as specific as possible is what helps you craft that plan you can trust in.
Related: Habits of Longterm Health: Take Charge of You
M – Measurable
Are you setting measurable goals? You should be, especially if you want to measure progress from one point to the next. Measuring progress can take on a number of different forms. Look for a 5-10 percent increase (or decrease) by goal’s end, shoot for mastery 5/7 days each week, or focus on a magic number (like 3 pounds lost).
A – Achievable
Is your goal realistic and achievable? If you’re like me, the answer is, “Duh!” because you don’t want to take the slightest chance of failing. Failing is a bummer, but what’s the point in setting a goal you know you can master without putting in the effort? Set goals that will challenge you and push you outside of your comfort zone. It takes time and practice to strike the balance between too easy and too challenging when it comes to goals.
R – Relevant
Is this goal relevant to you and your situation? Odds are it is, otherwise you wouldn’t be setting it! But take the time to dig into the why behind it and discover the goal’s true importance. Use that passion to help propel you to reaching the goal.
Related: Habits of Longterm Health: Make a Plan & Trust In It
T – Time-Bound
The time-bound piece is what holds you accountable when it comes to setting SMART goals. Without an end date in mind it becomes very easy to tell yourself, “Oh, I’ll do it next week (month, year, etc.).” Attaching a time constraint to your goal forces you to evaluate your effectiveness and take a look at why you’re not reaching your goals.
Put It Into Practice
Remember that “I want to lose 3 pounds” example in the beginning of this post? Let’s take that example and morph it into a SMART goal that incorporates a plan of attack and a time-bound end date!
Good: I want to lose 3 pounds.
Better: I will lose 3 pounds by April 15 through exercise 5/7 days each week and by hitting my macros within 5 grams 6/7 days each week.
Overall, the better version of this goal is Specific in that you can identify every SMART piece from the get-go. It is Measurable in multiple ways: there’s a “magic number” (3 pounds), an end date (April 15), room for a little grace (5/7 days per week, 6/7 days per week). Additionally, this goal is Achievable in that if I started working toward it tomorrow, I could expect to see reasonable progress by April 15. The “magic number” of 3 pounds is also not an unrealistic expectation for the time period. The question of relevance lies within the goal setter, but I could say yes, this goal is Relevant and important to me! Finally, this goal is Time-Bound by the calendar date of April 15 and it’s easy to look back and say “Yes, this goal was achieved,” or “No, this goal was not achieved.”
Your Turn
It’s your turn! If you haven’t started incorporating SMART goals into your health practices, I urge you to begin now! You don’t have to set five goals a month, or even five goals a year. As with all the habits, start small and work your way up. Write down your goals, post them where you can see them and use them to push you to the next level. Take charge of you by using SMART goals to help you make a plan and trust that it will take you where you need to be! Don’t know where to start? I got you! Come back next month for a look at Prioritizing.
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Topics in the Habits of Longterm Health Series:
- Take Charge of You
- Make a Plan & Trust in It
- SMART Goal Setting
- Prioritizing
- Improvement Over Competition
- Growth Mindset
- Giving Grace to Yourself
- Communication
- Giving Grace to Others
- Synergistic Training
- Striking the Balance
- Living Your Life
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I am ALL about SMART goals – having a pretty planner and pen definitely motivates me to follow through too 🙂
I’m all about those SMART goals! I find breaking my big goal up into smaller goals is the best way to achieve success.