Building Better Habits: Setting Goals and Making them SMART
We’ve all been in this place before, picture this, it’s the first week of the new year and it’s time to start following through on your “New Year’s Resolutions”. The first couple of days, the change seems easy, but after the first week or two, your resolve might start to falter. There are many possible reasons why you might start finding it difficult to follow through with your goal. For example, it could be that the goal was vague, too unrealistic, or ambitious, or maybe the goal was just not something you were interested in doing in the first place. That’s why it's crucial to take that little bit of extra time and think about your goal and how you’ll follow it through. One method that I personally like to use is the SMART method.
`The SMART Method (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Based) refines the goal setting process by using these five characteristics and helps refocus and reshape a goal into a game plan. Let’s use one of my old New Year’s resolutions as an example: “I want to swim longer and faster for the summer”. Improving a swim time is a great goal to have, but just saying “I want to swim longer and faster” leaves a lot of questions unanswered and opens up the opportunity for procrastination. Now let’s try running this same goal through SMART, starting with specific.
Specific
Goals should be very specific; that way, the objective/ goal is more easily defined and can be tracked and evaluated. Instead of saying “I want to swim longer and faster for the summer”, let’s now use “I want to be able to swim a mile in under 30 minutes before my beach trip on July first”. Notice how the goal becomes a little easier to picture with just a few more added details.
Measurable
Making a goal measurable is a crucial piece of the goal setting process. Without it, the goal becomes harder to track, and you end up losing your mechanism for feedback. So if your goal was to swim for a certain distance and speed, you’d want to include how you’d track/ measure your swimming programing. Now our measurement section would look something like this: “I will track my swim time and distance with my fitbit during each of my scheduled workouts. I will also record this data in my programming notes at the end of each workout”.
Attainable
Setting a goal that feels entirely out of reach can be demotivating. It's essential to ensure your goal is attainable. Going back to our example of swimming a mile in under 30 minutes for the beach trip in July, I had to ask myself if this was an achievable goal with my current lifestyle, commitments, and health. If not, perhaps adjusting the goal to a more realistic number might be necessary. Remember, the journey to achieving a goal should be challenging but not impossible.
Realistic
Your goal should also be realistic, finding the balance between pushing yourself and setting yourself up for success. If swimming a mile in under 30 minutes would require drastic, unsustainable measures, it might be time to reevaluate the goal. Consider what a healthy rate of progression looks like, consult with a healthcare professional if needed, and adjust your goal accordingly. For instance, maybe swimming a mile in 35 minutes is more realistic and sustainable for me and my timeline.
Time-Based
Lastly, we come to the time-based aspect of the SMART method. Without a deadline or timeframe, our goals can easily fall by the wayside. Returning to our example, "for the family beach trip on July first" provides a clear deadline. It gives us a specific timeframe to work with and helps in structuring our action plan. Breaking down the larger goal into smaller, manageable milestones with deadlines can further enhance motivation and focus.
Creating a Game Plan
Now that we've applied the SMART method, our goal of “I want to be able to swim a mile in under 30 minutes before my beach trip on July first” has transformed into a much clearer and more actionable plan. We know exactly what we want to achieve, how we will measure our progress, that it's within reach, realistic, and that we have a deadline to work towards.
Here's a summarized version of our SMART goal:
Specific: I want to be able to swim a mile in under 30 minutes before my beach trip on July first.
Measurable: I will track my swim time and distance with my fitbit during each of my scheduled workouts. I will also record this data in my programming notes at the end of each workout.
Attainable: Ensuring the goal is achievable given current lifestyle and commitments.
Realistic: Choosing a rate of progression that is healthy and sustainable.
Time-Based: Aim to achieve this by the start of the family beach trip this year.
Now, armed with a SMART goal, it's time to create a game plan. This could include:
Researching and adopting a suitable diet plan.
Committing to a regular exercise routine, perhaps with the help of a trainer.
Seeking support from friends, family, or online communities.
Setting smaller milestones along the way to keep motivation high.
Regularly reviewing progress and adjusting the plan if needed.
Remember, the SMART method is a powerful tool to transform vague aspirations into concrete, achievable goals. Whether it's weight loss, career aspirations, or personal development, applying these principles can significantly increase your chances of success. So next time you're setting a goal, take that extra moment to make it SMART!
Yours in health,
Andrew