Setting Yourself Up For Success by Having S.M.A.R.T Goals

by Chantal Collette, MSW, & Certified Personal Trainer

Setting goals is an essential component in achieving personal growth and success. One effective way to ensure goal success is by using the S.M.A.R.T method. S.M.A.R.T stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Specificity gives clarity to the goal, enabling us to clearly define what we want to achieve. Measurability helps us track our progress and know when the goal has been achieved. Ensuring goals are attainable helps us set realistic objectives that stretch our abilities but are within our reach. The relevance of a goal ensures it aligns with our values and aspirations, giving us the motivation to pursue it. Lastly, setting a time-bound goal provides a sense of urgency and accountability, helping us stay focused and dedicated. Overall, utilizing the S.M.A.R.T methodology empowers individuals to set clear, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals, increasing the likelihood of accomplishing their aspirations and realizing their full potential.

Let’s look at S.M.A.R.T goal setting in action. We shall use a common goal of “being more active.” Being more active is a very vague idea and cannot truly be measured or achieved. Using the S.M.A.R.T method you will set yourself up for success in setting and achieving your goals.

Specific: Describe your goal so that you have a clear cut idea of what your goal is. Examples could be, do three 20 minute walks within a 7 day period, sign up and do a 5K race within the next 6 months, or perform 2 total body strength training workouts every week. By being specific you know exactly what actions you need to do to achieve your goals.

Measurable: Having measurable goals lets you track your progress. Say one of your goals is to get between 6-7 hours of sleep per night. Every morning, you can write down on your calendar the amount of sleep achieved and at the end of the week you can see how many days in a week you achieved your goal. Other fitness/health goals could be eating 2-3 servings of fruits per day, trying a new fruit or vegetable every 2 weeks, blocking an hour off 3 days a week for you to focus on your well-being and physical fitness. Having a goal that is measurable allows you to determine whether you are staying on track in achieving your overall goal.

Attainable: Is your goal realistic and attainable? How easy will be incorporating your goals into your current lifestyle? Having unrealistic and unattainable goals is a set up for failure. Set yourself up for success by having goals that you can achieve!

Relevant: When setting any type of goal, ask yourself-does this goal align with my values, my beliefs, and my lifestyle? For example, if you are juggling a family, career, and/or are a caretaker, you realistically may not be able to exercise an hour a day during the week. Maybe having three 20 minutes of exercise within a week would be more relevant. Relevant goals allow you to look more broadly and realistically at your overall life and needs and help you determine goals that you will more likely be able to achieve.

Time-bound: Setting a specific deadline for your goals helps you putting them as a priority versus “someday.”

Get Fit and Achieve Your Goals with Personal Training & health coaching by Papillon Wellness Coaching
Are you ready to transform your health journey into a remarkable long-term success story? Reach out at  ccollette@papillonwellnesscoaching.com and we shall get you achieving your S.M.A.R.T health goals!