Have you fallen into the trap of setting yet another New Year's resolution?
Something like "I'll lose weight this year!" Or "I'll do more yoga this year!" Or "I'll spend more time outside with my dog!" Or "I am going to get into dog sports this year!"
Whatever your goal is, let us help you be successful by using the SMART goal format.
Did you know that year after year, the most popular new years resolution is to lose weight? And yet, year after year, the same resolution is set, indicating a lack of success by frustrated and perplexed resolutioners. While there are a LOT of reasons that weight loss in particular can be a challenging goal, let's focus on the most common mistake made by goal setters, regardless of what your goal is.
Sticking with the weight loss goal for ease of example, let's say that as January 1st approached, you set your resolution to lose weight.
On January 6th, you step on the scale for a routine check in, and notice the scale is down a pound. You have lost weight. Have you now achieved your goal? Can you now go eat a box of District Donuts, guilt free? Or did you intend to lose more than a pound? OR, more commonly, perhaps you implement a new diet and exercise regimen to aid in your weight loss goals, and while you notice physical changes and can maybe feel the difference in how your clothes fit and how you look, the scale hasn't budged. Does this indicate lack of success in your goal?
When we set goals, it is important for our goals to be written in a format that enables us to be successful. By using the SMART goal format, we can increase the likelihood of successful achievement of our goals.
SMART stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time-Sensitive
So if we wanted to increase the likelihood of success of accomplishing our goal, perhaps rather than stating "I want to lose weight." The goal now becomes "I will lose 10lbs by March 1st. I will do a 20 minute workout, 3x a week, and I will weigh and measure myself every Friday to assess my progress and tweak my plan as needed, based on these results."
OR perhaps your goal is to train your dog.
Instead of stating "I will train my dog this year."
Perhaps the goal becomes "I will intentionally train my dog every day by looking for behaviors that I like and want to see repeated. I will ensure I have jars of treats around my house for easy access and rewarding and I will always keep a few in my pocket so I can quickly Mark and Reward behaviors throughout the day. I will teach my dog 1 new behavior every week during a 10 minutes dedicated training session every M,W,F. I will check in with my progress every Friday by journaling about how things have been going, identifying challenges, and reaching our for support from my trainer when I run into challenges."
The differences between general goal setting versus using the SMART goal format is that by being
Specific, (identifying in detail what you intend to do and how you intend to do it,) making your goals
Measurable/ easy to track your progress,
Attainable it is something you are likely to be able to accomplish. Example: I will run a 5k this year is realistic for most people, however if you have no legs and no intention of obtaining prosthetics, running a 5k may not be necessarily attainable in this case. Perhaps the goal shifts to participate in a 5k race (rather than run. Silly example? Yes. But you get where I'm going here, yes? Is it attainable to run for president in 2024 for most people? To buy a million dollar house tomorrow when you have student loans and no prior experience in real estate purchasing and no cash/ investments/ etc.?) Realistic (goes hand in hand with attainable. Is it a realistic goal to become president? Sure. But if you have never been involved with politics previously, are emotionally unregulated, and are over 50, this may not be realistic for you.....
oh wait..... maybe not the best example....)
Time-sensitive allows you to put a deadline on the goal in order to ensure it is accomplished in a timely manner and not forgotten about.
By using the SMART goal format in all of your goal setting endeavors you can increase the likelihood of successfully accomplishing these goals.
Want some help setting SMART goals for you and Fido too?
Did you know we offer Wellness Consultations, for both 2 legged and 4 legged friends.
You can schedule a virtual or in person Wellness Consultation with Sara (for both 4 legged and 2 legged friends,) or Steve (2 legged friends only,) any time.
Questions? Reach out!
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@EngagedFitness
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