SMART Goals

Hey Fit People,

   Today I want to talk about making SMART goals for your new year's resolution.  Without goal setting, nobody knows where they are, or where they want to go!  Start 2012 off with some SMART goals and the results will just keep coming your way.

Specific: Make goals that aren't utterly ambiguous.  Specific goals give you a direct "bull's eye" to shoot for when planning your new workout routine.  An example of a specific goal is: "I want to lose 20lbs this year."

Measurable: Goals need to be trackable and measurable.  Whether it translates into pounds on the scale, inches on your waist or time until fatigue, find some metric in which you can track your progress.

Attainable: What goals are even possible given your health history, time and resources?  Set goals that can actually be achieved rather than ones like "becoming a professional football player". Remember, rare events happen rarely and be mindful what attainable goals you can set.

Realistic: This may be the most important rule! I see clients all the time make unrealistic goals and fail to meet them.  Err on the side of caution and set goals that are small and easily attainable.  Whether you take great strides, or baby steps, it's only a matter of time before you reach your goal.  Make a dedication to time spent training and I guarantee progress will come.

Timely: Goals should be broken up into short term and long term goals.  Ultimately, all short term goals must add up to your long term goal.  Generally, I suggest that short term goals be no shorter than 4-6 weeks to attain.  The reason I say this is because a change in body composition is usually only seen after 4-6 weeks of dedicated training.  I generally suggest long term goals to be set for anywhere from 3-6 months.  Anything that is set for a longer timeframe is usually unrealistic.

   For the next few days I'm going to set my 2012 SMART goals for you to peruse through.  Throughout the year, ask about my progress and keep me honest!

Stay strong,
Russ