New Year’s is just around the corner and it’s the time for writing resolutions! I much prefer to call it setting goals, because I think the phrase “New Year’s resolutions” gets such a bad rap of something people stick to for a short period of time.
I must admit, I love, Love, LOVE setting goals! I find it so satisfying to write things down on paper and cross them off my list as I accomplish them.
One thing I learned in teaching, is my goals (or objectives) have to be SMART. Here’s an example of a goal:
I will exercise in 2018.
Here’s an example of how to make it SMARTer:
I will get my heart rate up for 30 minutes a day, three times a week or more.
Here’s the breakdown of the SMART acronym:
Specific-It’s important to be specific with what you want to do! Getting my heart rate up is more specific than “exercise.” I could take a leisurely walk and label it as exercise, or I can increase my heart rate to see more results. I could also be specific in what type of exercise I want to do-running, yoga, cycling…
Measurable-I need to be able to measure my goal. If I simply say “I will exercise,” there is no accountability to how often I will do this. By saying three times a week or more, I am setting the bar, but allowing myself to aim higher.
Achievable/Attainable-Is the goal something I can achieve? Is this something that fits within my daily schedule? What do I have going on in my life? How can I create a time and space to make this happen?
Realistic-What does my current work out schedule look like? If I say, “I will get my heart rate up for one hour a day, every day of the week,” but am not exercising in any shape or form at present, this would be a tough goal to accomplish. Take a look at where you are at, and where you want to go. Baby steps. This is the main reason I believe people get so discouraged and quit. Set realistic goals that you can reach and then reset your goals, making them more challenging.
Time-Set a time frame. Thirty minutes might be a realistic amount of time for some, and might be too much/not enough for others. The beauty of goal setting is it’s YOUR goal! You get to take ownership of it and mold and shape it to challenge you personally.
What about you, Mama? What are some of your goals for 2018? One of mine might include completing one load of laundry a day-from start to finish. 🙂
mamaonarun 