Many people have big aspirations to begin change - a New Year's Resolution, big life event coming up, the list goes on. The best way to make sure you stick to your long term goals is to create smart goals! Here's how:
Specific: Let's say your goal is to "exercise more". That's a great goal! But how are you making that specific? A more specific goal would be "exercise at least 3 days per week for 30 minutes for 1 month". The more variables you add to your goals the better able you are to measure your progress.
Measure: Now that you have specified your goals, how are you going to measure them? Let's say that you only completed 2 out of 3 days of your exercise goals for the week - that lets you know that you have some room for improvement! Measuring your progress lets you make sure that you're on track while also providing feedback of how much you have improved.
Attainable: Are you able to attain these goals? A goal like "run for an hour every day" when you are just beginning to start exercising is probably not an attainable goal. It's much more attainable to start off slow and then gradually progress your frequency, duration, and intensity for a more long-term approach!
Relevant: Is the goal relevant to you? Tie in your goals with your reason for completing them. Why is this goal important to you? Defining your reasons why you want to accomplish this goal will connect your intentions to your actions.
Time: How long are you giving yourself to accomplish this goal? It's good to have an end point that way you can evaluate your goals and see if they were successful or not! If so, you can progress to another short term goal or create a long term goal. If not, ask yourself what your challenges were and reassess for next time!
Creating sustainable changes is possible for every body. Take the time to set yourself up for success!
-In health and strength,
Marisa
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