The New Year provides a clean slate, and the opportunity to improve our lives in the year ahead. But for most of us, the New Years resolutions will be forgotten by March. Sometimes, resolutions are not realistic and therefore, become overwhelming. This year, we challenge you to ditch those New Years resolutions, and try something different instead: Focus on making SMART Goals.
What are SMART Goals?
SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. This method provides a roadmap with a clear sense of direction. A SMART goal is one that has a clear beginning and end. It keeps you organized and focused on the small steps that lead to real success.
SMART Goals are:
- Specific: Many goals fail because they are too broad. We say “I want to be healthier” or “I want to exercise more.” Instead, focus on very specific goals. Swap in sentences such as “I will eat 5 servings of vegetables daily” or “I will take a walk outside 3 days per week.” Notice the use of the word “will” instead of “want” or “try.”
- Measurable: How are you going to measure your progress? This is an essential step that people often skip. You need a way to track your goals. Are you going to write it down? Are you going to use an app? Tracking your progress daily will give you the best results, and will keep you accountable.
- Attainable: Your goal should be something you can realistically accomplish. What will your approach look like? It’s often easier to break your plan down into micro goals. If your goal is to run a marathon, you’re not going to put the date on your calendar and then run random days. Instead, you’ll organize a training schedule, increase your mileage each week, and meal plan to optimize your training.
- Relevant: A goal should be something you care about and want to do. It should relate to your life in some way. Are you approaching too many goals at once or the wrong goals? This one is so personal to you. It’s important to really reflect that your goal is realistic. If you are trying to get back into exercising, you may vow to hit the gym 7 days a week. This many not be realistic for your lifestyle. Instead, aim for 3 or 4 days per week, and maybe half of those workouts are done at home.
- Time-Based: Your goal should have a due date or deadline so you can stay on track and measure your progress toward achieving it. When will you achieve your goal? Put that date on all your calendars. Get a countdown on your phone. Remind yourself weekly where you stand and how far you are from that goal.
Pros of SMART Goals
The concept of SMART goals was first introduced in the early 1980s. Since then, managers and educators worldwide have latched onto the concept of creating SMART goals and encouraging their employees or students to do the same. The framework of SMART goals offers a couple of benefits.
SMART Goals Are Achievable
The best thing about SMART goals is that they’re things you can attain provided you stick to the plan and don’t give up. Even if you get sidetracked, you can adjust your goal to get back on track.
SMART Goals Help You Realize What’s Important
When you set SMART goals, you gain a better understanding of what is important to you. Once you start thinking about relevant and attainable goals, you can weed out the resolutions that sound good on paper but aren’t going to get you where you want to be.
How to Implement SMART Goals into your Routine
Don’t forget to evaluate where you are along the journey. It’s ok to modify your goals as you make progress. And it’s also ok to tweak your goals if you find they aren’t realistic.
And don’t be afraid to push yourself further! Did you hit your goal of cooking dinner three nights a week rather than grabbing take out? See if you can go for night four! Have some ingredients prepped in the fridge or pantry for the week to make this easier! Or start doubling recipes and eating leftovers on the off nights.
Now the KEY to true success is to maintain your new and improved habits. Stay organized! Use a journal or planner to help keep your goals in check. Healthy habits last a lifetime. Make your goals SMART, and we know you can crush them in the new year.
Example of a SMART Goal
Want to increase fitness? Here’s how we would set this up.
“I’ll take a walk five days per week to get more active focus on heart health. I’ll walk the path around the park in the morning, after breakfast but before I go to work, with a goal of getting up to 2 miles by April 1.”
- Specific: The goal is specific, as it clearly defines the number of miles you plan to achieve by the deadline.
- Measurable: You can use a mapping program to measure your route’s distance or wear a fitness tracker like a Fitbit or Apple Watch to keep track of how far you walk and how long the walk takes.
- Attainable: Depending on your current fitness and health levels, walking 2 miles per day is likely achievable. Start slow and work your way up to 2 miles. Don’t do too much at first!
- Relevant: According to the Mayo Clinic, regular exercise helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently, giving you more energy to get things done. Regular cardio can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
- Time-Bound: Your goal is to take a walk 5 of 7 days of the week. You’ve set a deadline of April 1 to be up to your goal of 2 miles.
How We Can Help
At Anderson’s Nutrition, we focus on the four Pillars of Health – nutrition, movement, stress, and sleep – because we know each pillar plays a vital role in our overall health and reaching goals. Therefore if you are interested in working with one of our Registered Dietitians, they can create a custom, realistic plan for you that addresses all four Pillars! Click the button below to schedule an appointment online. Or, sign up for our 12 Fix Program designed to help you set a SMART goal in a specific area of nutrition and health each week!
Disclosure:
Some of our pages contain affiliate links that Anderson’s Nutrition may receive a commission from, at no extra cost to you. We only promote food and wellness stocking stuffers that we have used & verified, finding helpful for our clients and friends. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Anderson’s Nutrition is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
