Staying Motivated: Goal-Setting Part 2
In part 1 we discussed three types of goals: outcome, performance, and process. It is important to know that there are differences between these goals. It is also important to know how to set them. A common acronym you may have heard before is SMART.
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Target-date
Be specific when setting goals – “I will lose weight” is too general. How are you going to know when you hit your goal? At 3lbs, 5lbs, 50lbs? Replace that with “I want to lose 5lbs” and you know exactly when to celebrate.
Make your goals measurable. “I will improve balance” is a good start but let’s attach a measurement to it. “I will go from only being able to stand on one foot for 5 seconds to standing on one foot for 30 seconds”. This way you have a certain measurement to look up to, and when it has been reached you can set an even higher one.
If you set a goal that is too high, you run the risk of not accomplishing it. This will most likely give your brain a negative impression of physical activity and decrease your motivation to stick with it. That is why the ‘attainable’ and ‘realistic’ factors are important in goal setting.
Getting to your goals requires a reasonable target-date. When will you lose that last 10lbs by? If you are lacking a target-date, you may never lose them (“Oh I’ll start next week…”). It should put just enough pressure on you to be worried that if you miss a workout, you may not reach it. It shouldn’t have pressure that negatively affects your life. Know your limits and pick a date that is challenging, yet, do-able.
Using these guidelines will make a big difference in reaching your goals. Goals make people accountable and accountability leads to success.
Good luck setting goals and remember to contact one of our trainers if you have questions or would like to start a goal-setting program.
embody fitness 