We’ve all done it — set a New Year’s fitness resolution and given it up after a few weeks or months. But have you ever stopped to consider why you gave up? Most likely it was because your goal was either too lofty or not well defined.
Next time you set a fitness goal, make it SMART:
- S — Specific
- M — Measurable
- A — Attainable
- R — Realistic
- T — Timely
Let’s look at a common New Year’s fitness goal, “to get fit” and apply the SMART concept…
Specific
The “S” refers to the who, what, where, when and how of your goal. A better defined specific goal is to alternate cardio and strength training five days a week for 30 minutes each day.
Measureable
If your goal is “to get fit”, how fit is fit? What does “fit” even mean? You must be able to measure your progress. If you don’t, how will you know when you’ve reached your goal and become “fit”? Instead set your goal to be able to run and complete a half marathon.
Attainable
Is a half marathon too much? Too ambitious? That’s all right. Your measurable goal might be to jog one mile, or to walk briskly once around the block. Make it something you can reasonably complete. It’s counterproductive to set a goal if you have zero chance of success. Be honest with yourself. Maybe you can complete that half marathon. Just don’t count on finishing first.
Realistic
If you hate running, is successfully running a half marathon a realistic goal? At this point, no. But it could be if your view of running changes. Some non-runners actually start to like running once they start training for it. However if you’ve never been coordinated enough to run efficiently, consider starting with some other activity.
Timely
For success, most people need a timeframe for their goal. Your goal to run a half marathon, or jog a mile, is not timely. But to run in the annual Fourth of July Half is. Now you have a deadline from which you can back plan. Consider your current fitness level. Then figure out the milestones and when you have to hit each one to be ready for that half marathon on July 4th.
When you set your goal using the SMART system, your chance of successfully attaining that goal is much greater. Although “to get fit” was the original goal in this article, you can apply the SMART system to any goal or resolution, business or personal, fitness-related or not. Be SMART about setting yourself up for success.
