Track your progress.
Goal setting is an influential technique and method for enhancing your physiological and psychological performance in all facets of life: career, fitness, health. Beyond Fitness Trainer Ben Sortino shares how the S.M.A.R.T. method is a simple and useful guide when setting your health and exercise goals.
As a personal trainer, I feel so proud and inspired when a client, who has been working so hard, successfully achieves their goal that they have been striving for, for so long.
This actually happened during the week, and it was the client’s elation and excitement upon achieving their goal that has inspired me to talk about a very important, and very powerful, component in exercise – goal setting.
Goal setting is an influential technique and method for enhancing your physiological and psychological performance in all facets of life: career, fitness, health.
It encourages and motivates you to actually work towards something that you personally want to achieve. There have been numerous research and studies highlighting the positive effects goal setting has had on a wide-range of people.
So how do you go about setting yourself a goal?
The S.M.A.R.T. criterion to goal setting is a useful guide when setting your health and exercise goals:
- Specific – What exactly do you wish to achieve? Go into clear detail about your goal rather than generalising.
- Measureable – How will you know you have achieved your goal? You must be able to measure how you are tracking towards reaching your goal.
- Achievable – Is your goal realistic to achieve? Set yourself a challenging, yet possible goal to achieve.
- Relevant – Does your goal matter to you? The goal you set for yourself must mean something to you, and be worthwhile to strive to.
- Timely – When do you want to achieve your goal? Set yourself a date when you will achieve your goal.
Still stuck?
Here are little handy tips and ideas that will ensure that your S.M.A.R.T. goals are not just empty words and promises, but successful achievements and triumphs!
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Break down your S.M.A.R.T. goal into short-, medium-, and long-term S.M.A.R.T. goals
- This will provide important feedback on how you are tracking with your major S.M.A.R.T. goal. Your confidence will increase with every minor goal you achieve.
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Have your S.M.A.R.T. goal written down on paper
- This will constantly remind you of what you want to achieve so you don’t lose sight of your goal.
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Tell your family and friends what you aim to achieve
- This will provide you with great motivation and inspiration. Your family and friends will want to help you, so why not?
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Implement a rewards system
- Reward yourself with each minor goal achieved (manicure/pedicure, movie night, shopping spree). You’re one step closer to your goal! Enjoy your accomplishments.
Whether you want to begin exercising, or you have been exercising for many years, it is never too late to set yourself, and achieve a goal. So why not set yourself a S.M.A.R.T. goal today!
Happy goal setting! ☺