How to Reach and Keep your Health/Fitness Goals a S.M.A.R.T Way

How's it going you Amazing Warriors?!

Picture this:

You're heading to the gym, you car is blaring your favorite motivational song to get you pumped for a gruesome leg day. You just ate an apple or orange to give you that extra boost of energy you need. You walk into the gym, head into the locker room, set your bag down, turn your headphones on, grab a yoga mat and stretch. While stretching, your mind starts to wonder, you know you're there to turn those twigs into trunks but you have no idea where to start. You have a basic idea of what to do, squats and deadlifts maybe add the StairMaster in there, but other than that you don't really have a plan. You don't really know how long you're going to be there. Are the weights that you grab the right ones or are you just guessing what you should be lifting? Now you think it was all just a waste of time...

Let me ask you a question?

When you went to the gym, did you have a set time of how long you were going to be there?

Did you have a plan or did you just wing it?

Was it a workout YOU could do or the gym rats routine you gave up on 15 minutes in?

Every time you head into the gym you need to be planning ahead. To make goals on a daily basis even if they are just to do one more rep. These goals need to be SMART Goals.

S.M.A.R.T Goals?

Goals provide a sense of direction, motivation, a clear focus, and clarify importance. They are part of every aspect of life. By setting goals, you are giving yourself a target to aim at.

A SMART goal is used to help guide you through setting a goal. SMART is an acronym that stands for

Specific, What is the objective or goal? Well defined, clear, and unambiguous

Measurable, does it have specific criteria that measures your progress toward the accomplishment of the goal

Assignable (sometimes listed as "Attainable" or "Achievable")

Realistic ( sometimes listed as "relevant") Within reach, realistic, and relevant to your life purpose

Time-related, With a clearly defined timeline, including a starting date and a target date. The purpose is to create urgency.

It helps you focus your efforts and increase the chances of achieving your goal.

Specific Goals-To make a goal specific, the five “W” questions must be considered:

1. Who is involved in this goal?

2. What do I want to accomplish?

3. Where is this goal to be achieved?

4. When do I want to achieve this goal?

5. Why do I want to achieve this goal?

It will give you a significantly greater chance of accomplishing that goal.

Measurable Goals- have an indicator for measuring progress. Not only are you writing down what you have accomplished physically but also measuring how you feel, how you react, what drives you daily. If there is no indicator, you will not be able to track your progress to reach your goal. Ask yourself:

1. How many/much did i do?

2. How do I know if I have reached my goal?

3. What is my indicator of progress?

4. Am i self improving?

Assignable (Achievable, Attainable) Goals- help you figure out ways you can realize that goal and work towards it. Do you need to ask a coach or mentor for help with obtaining that goal? The goal should challenge you, but defined well enough that you can actually achieve it.

Ask yourself:

1. Do I have the resources and capabilities to achieve the goal? If not, what am I missing?

2. Have others done it successfully before?

3. Do I need to ask for help?

Realistic Goals- can be achieved realistically given the available resources and time. A SMART goal is likely realistic if you believe you can do it. Ask yourself:

1. Are you able to commit to achieving the goal?

2. Is the goal reachable?

3. Is the goal realistic to you specifically?

Timely Goals- must be time-bound in that it has a start and finish date. You are setting urgency and If the goal is not time-constrained, then you don't make it a priority. Therefore, you have less motivation to achieve the goal. Ask yourself:

1. Does my goal have a deadline?

2. By when do you want to achieve your goal?

The Importance of S.M.A.R.T Goals

The SMART method helps push you further by keeping you accountable and helps you stay organize. SMART goals are a useful method of setting an objective. They gives you a sense of direction, and approach, and set dates for you to achieving your results. A vague goal like “i wanna lose weight” can now be transformed into a SMART goal, like “i wanna lose 20 lbs of fat, gain 10 lbs of muscle and be able to walk up the stairs without losing my breathe”

Thinking deeper—and smarter—about your goals can help you reach the results you’re working toward. Are you S.M.A.R.T?