Have You Set Goals for Yourself?
If not, get out a pen and paper RIGHT NOW and jot down three S.M.A.R.T. goals for this month. Multiple studies have shown that putting pen to paper increases your likelihood of achieving goals faster and more effectively than if you were to just “think about them” instead.
What are S.M.A.R.T. goals, you ask?
- Specific – Instead of saying “I want to lose weight,” set a more specific goal, like “I will lose an inch off my waist by the end of the month.”
- Measurable – You must be able to measure your progress, whether that’s through your body circumferences (waist, hips, arms, thighs, etc.), your body fat percentage, or your ability to perform a certain exercise safely with a specific amount of weight.
- Attainable – Set a goal YOU can safely reach, without risk of injury or disappointment. Saying something like “I want to run a 4-minute mile” is probably not in the cards for you, unless your last name happens to be Bolt. A better goal would be “I will run a mile without stopping in under 10 minutes.”
- Realistic – You may have a ways to go in your fitness journey, but don’t try to do too much too soon. Keep your goals realistic, and aim to first “lose 5 pounds” instead of fifty.
- Time-bound – Set a definite deadline that you plan to reach your goal by. This will help you outline a path to get there, and it helps to have an idea of how long you plan to be working towards this goal.
Once you have your goals written down, post them somewhere you will see them every day. This will help reinforce your commitment to them daily. We put our goals on our refrigerator, but you can also put them on a bulletin board, on your bathroom mirror, at your desk at work, or somewhere else that works to help remind you every day of the direction you’re moving towards.
