Set SMART Goals and Succeed

Trying to make a real lifestyle change? Wondering where to begin? Setting SMART goals could be just what you're looking for...

Dreaming of making real changes in your life? Making lifestyle changes requires smart planning. Your goals should be realistic and doable. The following is a guide that can help you set and achieve your goals.

When setting goals be SMART. This means that goals should be:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Timely

Being SMART means that you set goals by giving thought to their outcomes. Once you know how to set goals in this way, you will have a much better chance of achieving them.

Specific: Focus on exactly what you want to achieve, rather than being general. A general goal is to eat more fruits and vegetables daily. A specific goal is adding a fruit to your mid-morning snack and two vegetables to dinner.

In order to set specific goals you must ask questions: What do I want to accomplish? When do I want to do it? (Set a realistic time frame.) How will I do it? If you want to get in shape, don't make getting fit your goal. Decide to join a gym and workout there three times a week. Plan to take a brisk ten minute walk during your lunch break on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, starting this week.

Measurable: Set measurable criteria that help you to achieve your goal. For fitness goals you can decide on milestones that you want to reach in your workout program and the same goes for weight loss. Measuring your progress helps you to stay on track and feel the exhilarating sense of achievement that boosts motivation.

Attainable: Aspire to achieve goals that you can attain. If you decide to lose twenty pounds so you can fit into a particular outfit for an event in one week, you know that is not achievable and you are destined for failure. However, by setting an attainable goal that challenges you and makes you work, you are building your self-esteem and gaining motivation. See yourself as worthy of the goals you are striving to achieve.

Realistic: Find the balance between setting your sights too high or too low. Make goals doable, not too easy and not too hard. Plan the steps to your goal realistically so that you can achieve it. For example, if you say you will never eat a certain food again, this is unrealistic. Instead, start by limiting your intake of that food and gradually eliminate or lessen it in your diet. Step-by-step you can achieve your goal if you are realistic.

Timely: Set a timeframe for achieving your goal. This will give you the drive you need to take the necessary steps toward achieving it. Remember, putting your goal into a realistic timeframe helps you to commit to take action.

So the next time you daydream about that smaller pants size or the longer workout, know that it doesn't have to be a dream. Think SMART and start working on it!

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