Setting Goals in 2010: a guide to reaching the stars
Every new years most of us set forth to make our new years resolution to lose those extra pounds we put on over the holidays. Many people lose sight of the resolution once the Valentines chocolates come around. However, being healthy is not so difficult, and shouldn’t be a chore.
The first thing to note is that whatever your goals may be, they should be SPECIFIC.
It’s easier to stay on track and stay focused when you know what you want. Having written specific goals helps your mind know exactly what to visualize for yourself. It’s not enough to say, “I want to be healthier and lose some weight”, it’s simply too general. Instead try setting something more specific as a goal, such as eating 3 home cooked/prepared meals a day, exercising 3 times a week, or cutting soda out completely. Also, keep a journal, or use your daily calendar to monitor your progress. There are many websites available that help you keep track for free of your own wellness efforts for free. http://www.sparkpeople.com/ is a great tool with free videos and even a forum to offer support. Another great tool is http://www.wellness360.com/ which actually pays you the more you use their site to monitor your progress. This brings us to the next part of maintaining your goals.
You must be able to MEASURE the goal to properly keep track of your progress.
This ties in with your specific goals, such as exercising 3 times a week. Now that something tangible has been established, it is easy to see how your actions compare to your written goals and therefore monitor your progress for your long term goals. If you cannot see where you are or where you are going, it’s really tough to keep your mind focused on any path. Whether it is keeping a journal, using a website, or marking in your at-a-glance monthly view calendar, if you can see it and measure it, then you will find yourself reaching your goals a lot faster and more easily.
Sometimes we bite off more than we can chew so it is important that our goals are ATTAINABLE and REALISTIC.
Wanting to drop 100 pounds in 3 months is not only very unlikely without drastic surgical measures, but also unrealistic. Pace yourself, it is healthier and when you keep track time will seem to move faster towards achieving your goals. Make sure your goal doesn’t interfere with other areas in your life. Your goals should always help you grow and bring a sense of accomplishment. They should not cause you stress or disappointment over taking on more than you can handle. Start off small and gradually increase your efforts as your lifestyle and body adjusts.
Make sure you can dedicate TIME to yourself and your goals.
Sometimes we don’t take into account that we get slammed with work at certain times of the year, or perhaps a family event or a big trip is on your calendar right in the middle of your goals. These are serious hazards to derailing your efforts. Devote specific time for yourself and your goals so you do not find any interruptions. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to stay on track when you make a commitment to yourself and step away from the plans for just an hour to keep on track. Your busy life won’t miss you if you are only away an hour 3 times a week to take a walk/jog, go to the gym for a short set, or prepare your meals the night before.
Now that we have gone through the corner stones of effective goal setting, you can see that having SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable and Realistic, Timely) goals goes a long way in anything you decide to go for in life.
Thanks to Wellness Corporate Solutions for sending us these steps in their newsletter
www.WellnessCorporateSolutions.com
http://wellnesscorporatesolutions.com/z-news/5-jan10/Setting%20S.M.A.R.T.%20goals.pdf