SMART Goals
A New Year’s resolution is effectively a goal - goals are a way of setting a direction. To be a success, the individual should make their goals SMART…let’s take a quick look at what this means and how you can support your customers to do this:
Mark is a regular customer of yours and in conversation about his New Year’s Eve plans, he tells you he really wants to kick start the year by working off the extra pounds he has put on over the festive season.
S |
Smart | Mark needs to be REALLY specific about his goal and how he’s going to achieve it. Saying that he wants to be physically active is too vague – so explore how Mark plans to do this, does he like to walk, run or is he keen to get to the gym? Mark should ideally choose to do an activity suited to his mobility. Explore how much weight Mark wants to lose and if he has also thought about following a healthy and balanced diet – see the Eatwell guide for details on achieving this. |
M |
Measureable | Once Mark knows how he will achieve his goal, he needs to set a target of when he will achieve it, by adding a number. Having a digital or paper logbook/chart is a good way to monitor progress and keep on track – for example, Mark received a fitness tracker for Christmas, which he is planning to use to help him monitor his steps. |
A |
Achievable | Does Mark have the relevant information and resources to achieve his goal? If a gym membership is out of his budget, perhaps joining a walking or running club may be a better option for him. Can you signpost him to activities taking place in the local area? |
R |
Realistic | Is Mark being realistic with regards to his ability to achieve his goal? Is he motivated to make the change after the festive season? Well, Mark tells you he wants to start on January 1st as he is fed up of feeling low in energy and gets out of breath easily. |
T |
Time |
A goal has to have a start point and deadlines. Great that Mark knows when he wants to start but is it for the short term or is he looking to sustain that change? A weight loss goal of around 1-2 pounds a week is ideal for long term success. |
Marks SMART goal could be:
“To lose 10 pounds by February next year by walking 30 minutes daily for 5 days a week”.
Setting SMART goals means people can become a better version of themselves. Aiming too high or setting unrealistic goals is bound to lead to setbacks and false start ups. For some people, picking a specific date to make a drastic change puts a lot more pressure on a person eventually setting them up to fail. You will have a better chance of success by making short - medium goals.