Trying to find motivation (and time) to begin and stick to an exercise program isn’t easy. Excuses and things that interrupt your fitness schedule are everywhere. Proper goal setting in an important way to help you stick to your routine. I use the S.M.A.R.T. principle for all the clients I work with. It’s a great way to specifically break down your goal, assess whether it’s reasonable and attainable, and plan how you’ll reach that goal.
The S.M.A.R.T Principle:
S-Specific: Choose a specific goal you’d like to achieve. For example, say you want to improve your 10k time by 2 minutes over 6 months, or lose 10 pounds in 2 months, rather than just saying you want to be faster or thinner. The more specific your goal is, the more likely you are to achieve it.
M-Measurable: How are you going to measure your progress towards your goal? It’s beneficial to document and record your progress. You’ll be able to see how you’re improving, and if there are weak areas, you’ll be able to see that and make changes as necessary. For the above examples: Time yourself on a 10k run once a month and record your time to see how you’re improving. If you’re wanting to lose weight, either weigh yourself or get a body fat test every week and record your progress. If you’re weighing yourself, do it at the same time of day each week. If you go the body fat testing route, make sure the tester is a trained professional, and, for increased accuracy, have the same tester conduct each test.
A-Action: This is the most important part, how exactly will you reach your goals? It’s important to be specific here too. Instead of just saying you will run faster, tell me HOW. Saying you will add one track workout a week to your current program where you will time your 400m time, or sprinting the last half mile of your training runs is more specific. If your goal is to lose weight, simply saying you’ll workout more isn’t enough. How will you workout more? Maybe you’ll add one group exercise class or one session with a personal trainer to your current workout program every week. Maybe you’ll add one fruit and one vegetable to your diet everyday and walk your dog three times a week. If your action is specific, you’ll know exactly what you need to do to get where you want to be.
R-Realistic: For success in your goal, it needs to be realistic. If you’ve never run a 5k before for example, it’s not realistic (or safe) to say that you will run a marathon. There is no reason that can’t be a long term goal, but in the short term, your immediate goal should maybe be a 5k and then gradually progress. If your goal is to lose 50 pounds, it’s not realistic to say you will do so in a month. Again, long and short term goals.
T-Time: With any goal, it’s important to establish a timeframe. Without a timeline, it becomes easy to procrastinate. It may also be beneficial for you to set up timeline “checkpoints” to keep you on track. For example, take our 10k goal, maybe after 3 months you’d like to be one minute faster. This gives you a check point halfway through your 6 month goal of improving your 10k time by two minutes. It is sometimes helpful to break down your goal like that, so you have smaller accomplishments to look forward to that are bringing you closer to achieving your overall goal.
Utilizing the S.M.A.R.T principle will help you achieve your desired goals. Remember when creating these, it’s necessary to choose a goal that’s important to you. If you are not committed or don’t have a desire to accomplish the goal in the first place, finding motivation to get there will be more difficult. Choose something that means something to you. The same is true for the “action” portion. Don’t choose to do a group exercise class every week if you hate going to group classes. Instead set aside a time to hike or walk outside. If you come across questions or concerns when making your S.M.A.R.T goals, feel free to email me at thenextmilefitness@gmail.com.
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