Making the Change Towards Improvement – How to Set Goals Correctly
Have you ever set yourself a goal of improving your health for the better? Perhaps it was to lose a certain amount of body fat, fit into a specific swimsuit size, get back into a sport or hobby that you loved when you were younger, or even get your waist to a healthy
circumference. You certainly are not be alone, we all set ourselves goals; however most of us, for whatever reason, don’t tend to use the SMART principle:-
SMART
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time Based
For example, a non SMART goal would be to say ‘I want to get more toned.’ Not only is this not specific enough, you haven’t set yourself a deadline at all and your level of ‘tone’ is unable to be measured.
If your goal was to lose 10kgs of fat and gain one kg of muscle in 3 weeks, it would be specific, measurable and time based, however it would not be considered realistic or achievable. A SMART goal on the other hand would be to say ‘I want to lose 10kgs of fat and gain one kg of muscle in 3 months, by 1st October with a runaway bay personal trainer‘. This goal is specific, it can be measured, it’s an achievable and realistic amount of fat and muscle to lose and gain respectively and it also has a timeframe set to it which gives you a deadline to complete the task by.
If you do not meet these requirements when setting your goal, when you try and reach your goal, unfortunately it will be like going on a road trip without a map. Whatever your choice of destination you need to be aware of the proper route that will get you there as quickly as possible. You will also need to be aware of what equipment you should take to ensure you arrive on time and in the condition you want to be in.
The same principles apply for the Health Goals that you set for yourself. If you set a fat loss or body shape goal that covers all requirements of the SMART principle you will dramatically increase your chances of success by mapping out the changes you need to make to your lifestyle so that you get there. Whilst in a way your final destination is the actual amount you are aiming gain or lose, the route planned should be your focus and if you do this you will be able reach your final destination.
So what lifestyle changes do you need to make to drop that extra 10kgs? Will that planned change have to become a part of your daily routine? Will this change be only during the short journey to your initial goal or will you make it part of your long term lifestyle habits for the rest of your life? Remember, what is achievable and able to be maintained by one person, may not be attainable for you -so never compare yourself to anybody else. Everybody has different
factors and situations in their lives that effect how they’re able to implement these lifestyle changes. Remember that old saying, ‘Be Yourself, Only Better’!
People will say to themselves they will ‘Get up at 5am and go for a run, even in winter’ or ‘I find a way to squeeze in time for morning tea every day,’ or ‘I will limit myself to two drinks at the pub every Friday.’ All of these are very achievable in the short term but as the weeks go by these good intentions will be difficult to maintain even with the most compelling goal or a Bruce Lee-like discipline.
Here’s a question for you. How would you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time of course!
So if you are truly looking to make long lasting changes and create a new long term healthy lifestyle, which everyone is of course, you should make changes in small amounts at a time that can be maintained. Set yourself the goal of taking the stairs instead of the elevator for the next two days, or having take-away just once on the weekend rather than twice. Instead of missing out on catching up with your friends, why not offer to be the designated driver so you will not be tempted to drink.
It’s these small goals that will make a difference and shoot you towards your goals. It’s just like Al Pacino says in ‘Any Given Sunday,’ ‘’’Life is a battle of inches. You become successful one inch at a time. The winners in life are the ones who scratch, claw and fight for that inch.’’ Before you know it you will be achieving your goals one at a time and actually enjoying the experience of the journey. Once you reachyour destinaton and achieve a goal, instead of turning around and going back the way you came, why not set yourself a new path to travel? The only thing you need to remember; make it SMART.
To acheive your weight, health and fitness goals call 0422 914 632 or visit Personal Training Runaway Bay and start on your new path today
Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!
Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.
Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you. https://accounts.binance.com/zh-CN/join?ref=VDVEQ78S
Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.
Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?
I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.
Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you. https://accounts.binance.com/pt-PT/register?ref=DB40ITMB
Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good. https://www.binance.info/it/join?ref=IJFGOAID
Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.
I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.
Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.