Start Small, Think Big Using S.M.A.R.T. Goals

We all have changes in our lives we’d like to make.  Maybe we want to work less hours. Go to the beach more often.  Lose 10 pounds.  Gain 10 pounds.  Stop smoking.  Make more meals at home, etc. etc… 
It’s good to have these larger, more cerebral goals, but how do we actually start making them happen?  How DO we actually start making more meals at home?  Since we all know, as much as we’d like it to be the case…that it won’t just POOF into existence!!  

That’s where setting S.M.A.R.T. goals can be extremely helpful.  Let’s go through what each letter stands for while continuing with our example of making more meals at home as our Big Goal.  Let’s say this individual normally eats out 5-6 times a week.  They commute for work and are usually gone from the house between 7am and 6pm Monday-Friday.  

S: Set a SPECIFIC SMALL goal that will assist you in making progress toward your larger goal.  
i.e. I will bring lunch to work to reduce the need to eat out.    

M:  Set a goal that is MEASURABLE and easy to track your progress and stay motivated
i.e. I will bring lunch to work ONE day a week so that I will eliminate the need to eat out on that day.

A:   Set an ACHIEVABLE goal.  It should stretch you but remain possible.
i.e. I will make a larger dinner on Sunday nights so that I can bring leftovers in a Tupperware to work on Mondays.

R: Make sure your goal is RELEVANT and that the timing to make this particular change is appropriate.  
i.e.  Making a larger meal on Sundays takes minimal extra effort and lets me prepare lunch the night before so that I just have to grab it and go in the mornings when I am more rushed.  

T: Make each goal TIME-BOUND.  You will most likely have several SMART goals that will lead you to accomplishing your larger goal.  
i.e. I will bring a lunch one day a week through the month of October.  

But what if I fail?  What if I set my goal and I can’t accomplish it?  Does that mean I should just stop trying?  Imagine if our babies, when they were learning to walk, gave up after the first few falls?  They might never learn to walk.  Babies fall hundreds of times in their attempt to put one foot in front of the other and finally learn to walk!  If they can do it, so can we!

Some considerations to think on if you didn’t quite accomplish your goal as you’d hoped. 
1) Was your “SMALL” goal still too BIG?  i.e. Lunch is too challenging, but maybe purchasing some pre-packaged meals and leaving them in the fridge at work is more do-able.  

2) Is there some other stimulus that is hindering your ability/desire to accomplish your goal? If so, then addressing this first (or in conjunction) will be important!  i.e. Your work friends always ask you to join them for lunch out, and you have a hard time saying no.

3) Is the timing to work on this goal just not right?  i.e. You are taking a dance class on Sunday nights and you are finding it hard to make a big dinner after your class.  

4). What’s your REASON for wanting to accomplish this goal?  Is it just because you think you should?  Or someone is telling you that you should?  Or do you have a more internal goal that motivates you to make the change?  We are more likely to succeed when we are driven by something important to us.  i.e. You want to take a trip to Hawaii but you don’t have enough money.  You realize you spend $100 a week on eating out and you want to instead save some of that cash to put toward a trip next year instead!  

It’s important to remember that relying solely on motivation to make positive changes in our lives, is often challenging because we haven’t established the WHY and the HOW in a clear way yet.  But by starting with SMALL, MANAGEABLE, ACHIEVABLE, RELEVANT & TIME-BOUND GOALS, we can start making our desired health goals a reality!