Reaching Your Health and Wellness Goals

Reaching your health and wellness goals can be a frustrating task. What starts out as great intentions, like getting fit for the summer, can become an afterthought if there is no consistent approach to reaching the goal. When you set a goal you should include each step necessary for success. To help reach your goals use a framework called S.M.A.R.T goals.  

SMART is an acronym for “specific,” “measurable,” “achievable,” “relevant” and “time-bound”. The SMART approach provides a way to measure your progress and be accountable for your success. Setting SMART goals allows you to realistically evaluate what you are trying to achieve by assessing what actions to take to reach your goal.

Here’s how SMART goals work –

1. Specific. Your goal should be clear-cut and easy to understand.  Example: “I will lose 5-10 pounds.”
2. Measurable. How will you track your progress and how you will know when you have reached your goal?  Example. “I will weigh myself weekly.”
3. Attainable.  Break large objectives into smaller goals. Set yourself up for success! Choose a goal that you are confident you can reach but will challenge you. Example: “I will lose one pound per week.”  Only you know your limits. 
4. Relevant. Set goals that are important to you.  Do not set a goal that someone else is pressuring you to achieve. 
5. Time-bound. Include an endpoint. Knowing that you have a deadline motivates you to get started. Example: “I will lose 5-10 lbs. in the next 60 days.”

Now that the goal is set, it is time to implement action steps to reach your goal.  Action steps refer to the specific efforts that are made to reach the goal.  Action steps should be concrete, comprehensive, and each step should explain what will occur. Example: “Starting January 1st, I will bring my lunch to work instead of eating out 4 days this week.” Start with a couple of action steps to reach your goals. By having a SMART plan with action steps, you will be well on your way to meeting your health and wellness goals!

Resources:

SMART Goal Setting: How to Set Fitness Goals | ACE Blog (acefitness.org)