Written by Reina Stewart | May 14th 2020
A key objective for MOVE is to assist others in reaching their heath-and-fitness goals in an
adaptive and welcoming way. For many of us, reaching our goals can be challenging. One way to get closer to achieving your goals is to make them SMART! Read on to learn more about how you can adjust your current goals, or create new ones, so that they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
Specific
The first step in creating a SMART goal involves asking yourself: “What do I want to achieve?”
Your answer to this question will set the foundation of your goal and so it is important to be
specific and clear in your description. Generally, you may already know what you would like to
improve, but it is helpful to be as explicit as possible so that you can narrow your focus and take actions that are directly relevant to your goal. For example, “I want to be healthier” is too vague as there are many ways to enhance your health. To be more specific, you will need to choose an area of health that you would like to work on. Maybe you are interested in incorporating more vegetables into your diet, quitting a harmful habit, or increasing your strength, cardiovascular endurance, or flexibility. In addition, a goal may be made more specific by breaking it down into smaller tasks. For instance, if your end-goal is to walk 1km in the GoodLife Fitness Marathon (shout out to all of the amazing MOVE members who have participated!), then you might start by walking 250m per day for three days and then try 500m, and so on. Whatever your goal may be, it should be defined in a specific manner.
Measurable
Let’s say that you have decided to improve your cardio. This is a great first step, but it is not
enough. In order to track your progress, it is beneficial to measure what you accomplish along
the way. For instance, the speed or distance (or both!) of your cardio workouts may be logged. In doing so, you will be aware of how quickly you’re improving and when your goal has been
reached.
Attainable
It is important to challenge yourself but pushing too hard can be discouraging and even
dangerous. Aiming to complete a marathon after a couple of weeks of training is likely far too
extreme. At the same time, setting a goal that is too easy will probably be demotivating. As such, it is helpful to ask yourself: “What am I comfortable with?”.
Realistic or Relevant
To establish a goal that is relevant, it should be important to you. Taking some time to think
about what matters to you, and why, will allow you to create a goal that leads to a meaningful
and fulfilling achievement. Reflecting on where you would like to direct your energy may also
bring your attention to pre-existing goals that are based on others’ expectations or on values that may be less significant to you now. With this new awareness, you may re-evaluate whether or not these pursuits are worth your time and energy.
Time-Bound
Getting started with working towards your goal, as well at maintaining your effort, might be
difficult. Establishing an endpoint will help to provide you with the motivation you need to get
started and to stay on track. Even though it is ideal to stick with your schedule and aim to meet your deadline, it is okay if your timeline needs to be adjusted. As we all know, unforeseen challenges often arise throughout life. It is much more advantageous to take longer to arrive at your destination than to never arrive at all!
If you are interested in adjusting your current goals or possibly creating some new ones. MOVE is offering online program packages. Work one on one with our trained Athletic Therapist to help guide you to success! More information can be found on our website under “services” or email moveadaptedfitness@gmail.com.
Original image can be found here: https://www.mileiq.com/en-gb/blog/smart-business-goals/