Goal Setting Best Practices: Get SMARTer!
So, you’ve made the decision to improve your health through nutrition this year. Uh, okay… now what?
Having a vague goal like “eat healthier” or “lose weight” can end up being really frustrating. Why? Because there is no clear starting point or first step and no clear endpoint or why to evaluate that you have attained your goal.
A better goal setting strategy that will provide more explicit guidance is the SMART method for setting goals.
SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound.
SPECIFIC
In order for a goal to be effective, it needs to be specific. Six months from now, when you look back at that goal to “eat healthier” will you still know what that means? Why not add a little more detail so that those goals still make sense later on?
MEASURABLE
How do you measure “eat healthier”? Are you going to do something a set number of times? Perhaps you will eat a certain amount each day? Regardless of what your metric ends up being, it is important to quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress. By measuring your progress, you will be able to remain driven as you see the improvements you make along the way.
ATTAINABLE
Is the goal you’ve outlined so far reasonable? It is helpful to bounce your ideas off of an expert or unbiased friends. At the very least, do a little internet research to see if your goal is something that has been achieved before.
REALISTIC
After you’ve confirmed that your goal is attainable, put it into the context of your own life, and consider what results you can realistically achieve given the resources available to you. It’s important to consider any conditions or limitations that might impede your goal.
TIME-BOUND
It is important to specify when you are going to achieve your goal by setting a time limit or end date to your goal creates urgency. It is too easy to procrastinate when goals are open-ended and have no deadline.
Now that you’ve got some great tips on how to set a proper goal, get out there and start crafting the goals that are going to make you the best you can be this year!
Written by: Diana, Nutrition Coach