More on Goals
Holiday Bodyweight Challenge - Day 51
What's the difference between a New Year's Resolution and a Goal? Timing, in large part. Goals can, and should, be set year round. If you're not chasing something, you're missing out on an opportunity for personal growth. NY Resolutions are usually accompanied by some sort of hangover (alcohol, bad food, and/or family). Most of the forthcoming examples pertain to fitness and income, but goals can be used to improve any aspect of your life.
Here are some more pointers on setting goals. There's an anacronym related to goal setting; goals must be SMART: Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, and have a Time component. I touched on this yesterday, but I'd like to expand.
- SPECIFIC - there must be details associated with your goal. The desire to get fit isn't good enough. "I want to run a 5K," is specific.
- MEASUREABLE - as with all science, things must be measureable. "I want to make more money," is not measureable, unless you're happy with a $1 increase. "I want to make $10,000 more this year," is measureable.
- ATTAINABLE - we've touched on this before, but it's a good reminder. Don't set the bar too high, but also don't set the bar too low. It must be attainable.
- REALISTIC - same as above ... you just can't spell SMART without the R.
- TIME - in some ways, this is the most important. "I need to lose 15 pounds in 3 months," has most of these aspects covered. Time is of the essence.
There are other things that are worth keeping in mind. You must own your goals. If your wife tells you that you need to lose weight, or make more money, that isn't your goal,it's hers. Wanting to lose weight to be healthy for your family, or make more money so you can experience more things with your new body and your family is fine. But changes made for others usually don't work out. Also, your goals must be written down, and not in some never-seen notebook. My fitness goals are written in the front of my workout journal, my business goals are written in a business journal/log that I keep (and view daily), and my personal goals ... well, I still need to figure that one out. Maybe a sheet posted to my bathroom mirror...
The Goal board is up on the wall behind The Chuck at the gym. Select a few things that you'd like to accomplish, and set a time limit to it. Put the rest of your fitness goals in your book, somewhere where you can see them on a regular basis. Hold yourself accountable, and with some hard work, you can attain most of your goals!!
