Goal setting and achievement is something many of us, including myself, struggle with. I can very easily spout off ten goals I would like to achieve, ranging from personal to professional, short-term to long-term. The easy part is identifying what you want. We call these outcome goals and there is nothing wrong with them, in fact they give us hope and motivation to stay in the fight on rocky days.
The problem arises when our goal setting and achievement starts and stops with what we want, rather than identifying the exact steps it takes to get there. Behavior goals actually identify the path we need to take to get from point A to point B. They are like the name implies the behaviors which we must adopt to reach our desired outcome and are absolutely critical for goal achievement.
There is a common acronym which is used in goal-setting. For some this may be new and for others a nice review. But in reality its is applicalbe for all as I bet over 90% of you are not currently making SMART goals.
Specific- Well defined and focused. Should address the five W's- who, what, where, when, who. This is when we talk about the exact behaviors it will take to obtain success.
Measurable- Not measuring a goal is like competing in your sport and never keeping score.
Achievable- Beasts are not built overnight. Make your goals realistic and within reach.
Relevant- The goal at hand had better really matter to you or the urgency and care won't be there.
Timely- Just like a game your goal needs a start and an end. An open dated goal means the game never ends and therefore we never see who won.
Let's use a couple of examples we often see in the fitness world.
Not SMART "I want to lose weight."
SMART "I am committed to losing 10 lbs by May 1st, so I will have more energy throughout the day and look better in the mirror. I will achieve this goal by committing to 5 hours of high intensity exercise every week along with modifying my diet to limit carbohydrate intake. I will track my weekly progress by the use of adherence nutrition charts along with a weekly weigh-in."
Not Smart "I want to gain weight for football season."
SMART "I am committed to gaining 15 pounds of muscle by next football season. I realized last season I need to be a bigger and stronger version of myself if I want to play at the next level. I will achieve this goal by increasing my daily caloric intake by 500 calories. These additional calories will come from high quality lean protein sources and unprocessed high quality carbohydrates. In addition I will commit myself to the weight room and participate in a hypertrophy (muscle building) based programming. I will track my progress by daily weigh-ins, monthly BOD POD assessments (body composition test) and evaluating nutrition adherence and making necessary adjustments. "
Not Smart "I want to increase my vertical jump."
SMART "I am going to increase my vertical jump by 3-5 inches by next basketball season, so I will be able to improve by rebounding numbers and get to lose balls that I struggled with this season. I will achieve this by keeping my body composition at a percentage that is appropriate for my age and sport; this will ensure that my body isn't working against me. In addition I will seek out a fitness professional for a comprehensive assessment to help me identify my areas of weakness. I will rely on them to create me a specific program that will help me develop my explosive strength, which I will adhere too and push myself to be better every day."
Honestly, if you are not willing to take the time to create a SMART goal then chances are you really aren't ready to take that challenge on in the first place. Most folks don't achieve their goals simply because they are not ready for change.
If you are indeed ready for change, choose a goal that means the most to you. Do not, I repeat do not, try and achieve more than one goal at a time. Simultaneous goal achievement is a recipe for disaster and disappointment. Commit to one and only one, follow the plan.
What do you want?
How will you get there?
And remember always be SMART.
