Achieving Success with SMART Goals
Do you ever feel like you are working hard but not getting anywhere? Do your New Years’ Resolutions get lost a few months in? Having difficulty tracking your growth/success?
I personally have multiple goals and ideas I’d love to tackle but if I don’t write them down or think through them, I get little accomplished and feel like I’m going nowhere. I’m just sitting here drowning in my own thoughts.
One of the best ways to keep yourself on track is to WRITE YOUR GOALS DOWN and plan them out! Using SMART Goals is the way to go if you would like to increase your probability of success. Setting SMART Goals allows you to clarify your ideas and focus your efforts to help increase the probability of achieving your goals. I’m a visual person and this helps tremendously. I’ve also created a worksheet that you can download and print out to help guide you in creating your own SMART goals. The link can be found here.
In this blog post, we will take a look at what smart goals are and how to use them. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them down below! I’d love to chat.
What does SMART stand for?
‘SMART’ is an acronym and stands for:
S: Specificity
M: Measurable
A: Achievable
R: Relevant
T: Time-bound
I am not sure where this all started but I was first introduced to SMART Goals in my first term of Physio School. We are encouraged to utilize it with our patients and I have incorporated something similar in my patients’ Plan of Care.
What are the benefits of SMART Goals?
Clear and concise: helps you identify an objective and your strengths/weaknesses
A clear pathway to the finish line: this definitely helps with motivation to succeed
Trackable: I sometimes feel like I am drowning in ideas/projects so having some form of an outline and writing what I need to get accomplished on a weekly/monthly basis is helpful.
How to Write SMART Goals?
Now that we know what each letter represents, let’s see how to apply it. Download your free SMART Goals Worksheet here and follow along.
1. Specific
When setting a goal, you want to be specific about what you want to accomplish.
This is where we want to answer the 5 Ws.
Who - Who needs to be involved in order to achieve the goal? Do you need the help of your Physiotherapist, personal trainer, coworkers, classmates, etc?
What - Think about exactly what you would like to accomplish. Be detailed. Identify any obstacles or requirements.
When - Set a general timeframe but you will get more specific about this one in the time-bound section.
Where - If your goal involves an event or location then specify it here. This may not be relevant for every goal.
Why - Identify the reasoning behind your goal. This one is very important as it will help motivate you. Always identify your why.
2. Measurable
What metrics are you going to use to determine if you have achieved your goal? I also like to identify milestones (i.e. phases) that need to be achieved in order to achieve your overall goal. Milestones are easy to measure along the way and help motivate you to keep you on target. Your goal should have an objective way to measure it i.e. a percentage, deadline/date, or number.
3. Achievable
Your goals shouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility. It should be realistic. For example, it’s not very realistic if you haven’t spoken a word of French before but you are expecting to be fluent within 6 months.
You also want to identify any new skills or equipment needed to achieve your goal.
4. Relevant
Is your goal relevant to your life right now? Does it align with your values and ultimate projection in life? If you are working on a new business project, does it align with the overall business objectives?
5. Time-Bound
Identify when you want to achieve your goals. If you have any milestones, when should they be completed? Is your timeline realistic?
Example of a SMART Goal:
Here is an example of planning out a goal using the SMART Goal method.
Initial Goal: I want to be more active in 2023.
S-Specific:
Who: I need to prioritize my health. In order to help stay consistent, I’d like to either hire a personal trainer or utilize a comprehensive workout app.
What: I’d ideally like to be active for 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week. My workouts should be a vigorous-intensity aerobic activity with muscle strengthening 3 times per week.
When: I would like to be active 6 days a week by the end of April 2023.
Where: Workouts will take place in my home gym or at the local gym. I will also incorporate some outdoor aerobic activity when spring/summer arrives.
Which: Ensure I have the application purchased and downloaded. I need to buy a gym membership (if more equipment is required than what is offered in the home gym).
Why: I’d like to be strong and healthy to participate in activities with my children, nieces and nephews. I’d like to attain the health benefits of exercise: i.e. decreased blood pressure, nervous system regulation, decrease the risk of Cardiovascular disease and diabetes, etc.
M-Measurable:
I will begin working out in the month of January 3 days per week. Two days will consist of weight training and one day will consist of cardio/endurance training.
I will add an extra day per week with each new month i.e. January 3x/week, February 4x/week, March 5x/week, and April 6x/week.
If I wanted to track weight changes, I would measure my weight in pounds (lbs) at the end of each month.
All completed exercises and programs will be tracked via my workout app.
A-Achievable:
Purchase workout app
Ensure proper workout equipment at home (i.e. dumbbells, resistance bands, yoga mat)
Prioritize 30 minutes of workout time in my calendar when scheduling my week
R-Relevant:
My goal is relevant to me as my health and well-being are important. My goal is realistic as I have been able to work out 6 days/week in the past and would like to return to that.
T-Time-bound:
I would like to accomplish my goal by the end of April 2023. At the start of every month, I will add an extra workout during the week until I am able to work out 6 days per week.
To keep myself on track, I love using a calendar and a daily planner. I am a visual person and writing everything down is super helpful. I am currently using the Bliss Collections Daily planner which can be found here. (affiliate link)
I hope you’ve found this helpful and I wish you the best of luck on reaching your goals!
Happy planning and succeeding,
Leila