Goal Setting: Why you fail before you even begin and what you can do about it!

I stumbled upon a quote a few days ago that inspired me to write this article.  The quote reads “A goal without a date is just a dream.”

Today is December 31^st, the day that I claim is the most optimistic day of the year.  Likely, you’ve enjoyed the festivities of the holidays.  Perhaps you ate too many sweets, had a little too much wine, and skipped a few days at the gym.  The holidays can be very difficult on your health and New Years Eve is the time you swear up and down you will be healthier this year or finally earn that big promotion.  However, most will never achieve the goals they had set out for at the beginning of the year and here is why.

As a health and fitness professional, I hear all about the goals of my clients and fellow gym patrons.  They sound a little bit like this “I would like to lose weight this year and start a healthy diet.”  Sounds reasonable, however it lacks the detail for the person to actually achieve the goal.  What if you only lose a pound?  Would that be considered a success?  Now is the time to be honest with your self, have you achieved every goal that you set for yourself last year at this time?  If you are like most of us (myself included) you may have some unfinished business in the New Year.  Albert Einstein once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”  Incorporate these five elements to your New Year’s resolution and truly achieve the success you desire.

It is time for you to set a SMART goal.  SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic, and Timely.  First, a goal needs to be Specific.  The more detailed and specific your goal is, the better your success will be.  If your goal is to lose weight, how many pounds would you like to lose?  What will your body fat percentage be reduced to?  Perhaps you want to lower your blood pressure?  An example of a specific goal would be to “lower my blood pressure from 140/90 to >120/80.”  This provides you the specifics to measure your progress along the way. 

Having a Measureable goal means that you can gather constant feedback on your path to successfully achieving a goal.  “To be healthier” isn’t a measurable goal by itself.  The definition of “healthy” is highly variable depending on who you are talking to.  Instead, create your goal around measure of health, such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, circumference measurements, body fat percentage, or BMI. 

Your goal cannot be achieved without Action.  Many of us are excellent at planning, yet we wait for the perfect time to start working towards our goals.  However, the traffic lights to success are not all green at the same time.  To achieve anything, you have to take action! 

Goals also need to be Realistic. This requires you to be honest with yourself.  If you aren’t sure whether your goal is realistic or not, perhaps you can consult an entrusted professional in the area of your goals.  If you are looking to lose weight, perhaps you can speak with your doctor or a certified health and fitness professional.  Setting a goal of “winning the lottery” is not a very realistic goal (no matter how many tickets you buy)! 

Finally, a goal needs to be Timely.  When would you like to achieve your goal?  Having a deadline will give you the “push” to take action.

I conclude this post with a final question: “What could you achieve in 2013 if you stretched your limits?”  Happy New Years and I wish you the best of luck in achieving your SMART goals!