Set Goals throughout the Year

It’s not too late to set goals this year. The New Year has passed, but year-round goal setting can help you immensely to achieve what you want.

One key aspect in health and fitness is consistency. Set a goal to work out a certain amount of times each week for the next month. It doesn’t have to be a hectic schedule. Just figure out what is manageable for you and try to stick with it. After a month, review to see if it’s working in your schedule and if you are getting the results you want.

Life is unpredictable, so it’s important to review. Your schedule might have changed, or you might want to add in another workout if you have the time and want to get better results.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

A great way to set goals that works with the above is setting S.M.A.R.T. goals.

Smart goals stand for:

Specific

Measurable

Appropriate

Realistic

Time-Bound

Here’s an example of a S.M.A.R.T. goal:

Specific: You want to lose 5 pounds.

Measurable: You should be able to objectively measure your progress. Weigh yourself weekly and also measure yourself. If your weight is staying the same but your measurements are going down, you’re losing fat but gaining muscle. Therefore, you’re healthier and could still be considered achieving your goal.

Appropriate: The goal should be appropriate for you. For example, if you’re considered underweight for your height or your doctor is telling you you’re too thin, then this isn’t an appropriate goal for you. If you’re carrying an extra 5 pounds, then this would be an appropriate goal for you.

Realistic: If you have a health issue that makes losing weight difficult for you or you tend to struggle with losing weight, set your goal longer than the typical goal of losing 1-2 pounds per week. Also, you don’t want to be losing more than 1-2 pounds per week because you’d be losing muscle and not fat. That would be detrimental to your health and not a realistic goal to improve your health.

Time-bound: If you lose 1-2 pounds per week, set your goal for a month or 5 weeks for losing 5 pounds. If you’re 150 pounds, you would write your affirmation or goal as “I am 145 pounds by February 11, 2012.” If you’re planning to ultimately lose more than 5 pounds, you could say, “I am 145 pounds or less by February 11, 2012” in case you’re one of the lucky ones who loses 2 pounds per week.

Posts on Goal Setting

Here are some other posts on goal setting you’ll find here and at Christina Chitwood Performance:

Go for It with All Your Energy!

Bring in the New Year with Goals

Challenge Yourself

New Year, New Goals

Related posts:

1. 5 Tips to Help You Get Excited about Fitness
2. Go for It with All Your Energy!