Goal setting is important for individual and team success. Whether it is health and fitness, professional or personal related, setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. However, to be successful in achieving your goals, it’s important to avoid the two most common pitfalls while setting them:
- Choosing goals that don’t truly matter to you
- Being vague about what you want to achieve
The first step on the road to success is to create a goal that motivates you. If you have a deep-rooted connection to your goal, you are far more likely to work hard to achieve it. Think about the reason behind your goal and own it.
The second step to success is to make your goal SMART. What is a SMART goal? It is a goal that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Recorded and Time stamped.
Specific
Your goal should be as specific as possible. For example, don’t just say “I want to be a runner.” Instead, say, “I want to train three days a week to be able to complete a 5K in three months.” You can take that a step further by making it even more specific. “I want to train three days a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings to be able to complete a 5K on March 3, 2021.”
Measurable
Make sure you can measure your goal. How will you know if you have achieved your goal? In the above example, you will know you achieved your goal by completing all of your training and finishing that 5K. If you had kept your goal at “I want to be a runner,” how would you have known when you achieved that?
Attainable
Your goal should be achievable within the time frame that you set for yourself. If you have never run before, it might not be an attainable goal to say “I want to run a marathon next month.” However, a goal of running a 5K in three months is achievable. Start small with one goal and build from there. For example, instead of, “I am only going to eat healthy foods all the time,” which might be too daunting, say, “I want to eat two servings of vegetables every day for the next two weeks.” That small goal is attainable and a great place to start when trying to improve your overall nutrition. After you’ve mastered that goal, you can move on to incorporating two servings of fruits each day and so on.
Recorded
Put pen to paper! Write your goal on a piece of paper and place it somewhere you will see often. When you write it down, it becomes real. It’s no longer a thought in your head, it’s an action plan. Post it on the bathroom mirror, bedside table, your desk or in the car. This way, whenever you see your goal, you will be reminded and re-motivated.
Time stamped
Give yourself a time limit to complete your goal. Whether it be weeks, months or a year, set a time limit. This will help you stay on track so you can keep yourself accountable and avoid forgetting about your goal.
A journey always begins with one single step; take it today!
by Megan McKee