29 Oct HOW TO SET UP SMART GOALS ?

Setting SMART goals increase the chances you will actually hit them !

SMART goal setting :
You have probably heard a thousand times that in order to achieve something you have to have an end destination ( goal )
and set a direction to get there.

It is very true and it applies to pretty much any aspect or area in life be it health , fitness , nutrition , relationship , business etc..

The challenge is though that many people set a goal in one area ( for example their work ) but when it comes to another area ( for example their health )
they don’t do anything or have some vague idea or fantasy .

In order to overcome this barrier – you should set yourself a goal in any area that you actually care about and that you are putting an effort in .
Only then you will really move forward and will be able to have a feedback on what is working and what is not .

So What is SMART goal setting ?

SMART is an acronym that gives you a simple structure and work frame to effectively set a goal .

SMART stands for :
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

Lets briefly break down each one of them so you can easily use this structure to set your goals in the future :

Specific

For a SMART goal to be specific – it have to be clearly defined and focused on the specific thing you want to achieve .
For example : getting healthier , having better relationship or eating healthier – is pretty general .
A specific goal will sound like : Losing 5 kgs , have at least 2 evening a week with my partner , stop eating carbs …
The reason behind setting up something specific is that your brain likes clarity – when it knows the end outcome it start working on
the ways to get there ( pretty much like a GPS when it comes to reaching to a certain destination )

Measurable

For a goal to be measurable – it has to be quantified and represented by a number . In that way you cut out the feelings / point of views of yourself and other .
So for example : Feeling better is NOT measurable but going down from 90Kg to 85Kg is measurable .
Have better cardio is NOT measurable but running for 12 minutes without stopping is measurable .
Eating healthy is NOT measurable but Eating Veggies 2 times / day 5 days a week is measurable .
Well – you got the point .

Achievable

Can you run a marathon after one week ?
Or stop eating all the sweets tomorrow ?
How about losing 20 kg’s in a week ?

I assume the answer for the questions is NO.
Many times what people do is that they set a goal that is NOT achievable for them ( due to their habits and lifestyle ) yet
the still set it .
That creates frustration and many times lead to quitting the goal or the process altogether .
This is the reason why when you set a goal you have to set something that might be a bit of a stretch for you – but is still doable :
For example : Running 20 minutes every morning might be tough if you never run before – yet it is achievable in a span of few weeks or consistent month of training .
Stop eating deserts after every lunch is more achievable then stop all the sugar intake
And losing 20 kg’s of weight in a week when you sit in office 12 hours a day – is a dream ( frankly it’s impossible also for active people ).

So to conclude : Make sure you can achieve what you set but set the bar a bit higher then you are comfortable with

Realistic

Realistic goal is something that is grounded in reality.
Sometimes Realistic and Achievable goes hand in hand and some times they are 2 separate categories .
Lets look at an example :
Losing 20 KG of weight in a week is not realistic to anyone and is definitely not achievable with your lifestyle if you work between 12-14 hours a day
in a cubicle .

Losing 1 Kg / week is realistic however if you eat junk food , not exercising and sitting all day in the office : then currently its not achievable for you.
If you are someone that is active daily and have small gaps to deal with when it comes to diet – this will be both realistic and achievable

Timely

No matter which goal you set – it has to have a dead line or some kind of time frame or period of time in which you will achieve the goal .
Without setting up a deadline you can easily fluff it and lose focus and once again the goal becomes a dream .
So be it : 21 days , 1 month , by the end of the year – you got to have defined time to hit your goal .

What if you fail ?

Like anything in life you can set a goal and work towards it – and still not hit it .
THAT is OK .
Just take a step back and see what worked and what didn’t work and change your approach and strategy accordingly .
Sitting and blaming yourself will not help and it is not effective anyway .

That about it .
Hope it helps you with clearly setting your goal and that you can HIT IT !

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