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Goals, goals, goals

January 9, 2016 //  by Di Hickman//  24 Comments

Ok I want you to imagine goals, goals, goals sung to the tune of “girls, girls, girls” by Motley Crue. Go on just do it, get it out the way now, because I’m totally singing that myself. That’s something we do, make up silly songs to the tune of something else. Usually when we don’t know the real words but I digress. Today we’re talking about GOALS! Last week I shared my health & fitness planner and today I want to talk a little more in depth about goals, goal setting and how to use the SMART system when it comes to goals for 2016 and beyond.

goals blog post 2016

The SMART system is one of the keys to success, and I thought today I’d go over a few things about the SMART system, share my tips and tricks and if  you have any questions you can just ask away in the comments. Remember, if you haven’t signed up for your free Health & Fitness planner then go ahead now and go sign up, print out your goals sheets and let’s get busy.

Setting SMART Goals

Imagine a simple daily activity you’re done for a long time, maybe something you’ve done you’re whole life and just take the necessary steps needed to do this task for granted, because you do it on autopilot. Maybe it’s something ridiculously simple like brushing your teeth? When you brush your teeth in the morning do you pick up the toothbrush, move it back and forth, then put it in your mouth, take it out your mouth and lastly apply toothpaste? Nope! Why? It makes no logical sense as it won’t get the task done. Each task we do on a daily basis has an order in which it has to be done, goals are no different. By using little steps to help us on the way we can figure out a system that helps us achieve those goals.

[tweetthis]Break your goals into bitesize chunks to more easily achieve success! via @workoutwithdi[/tweetthis]

Let’s use the brushing teeth example. Is the goal to brush the teeth? Not really. The goal is to avoid cavities, have a nice white smile and good gum health. Who decides if we’re doing a good job? Our dentist. What steps can we take to achieve that include brushing our teeth, flossing and using mouthwash. However is it realistic to do all three of these everyday, twice a day? Most of the time? Having a dentist appointment every 6 months gives us a timeframe to work by and motivates us to keep to that cleaning schedule. See how that works? So let’s break that SMART SYSTEM down for health and fitness.

specific

Get Specific. 99% of women are going to choose weight loss as their goal. That’s a totally made up statistic, but you know that it’s the majority. It’s all I’ve seen on facebook from friends and family. Lose weight, lose weight, lose weight. I’d rather instead you think about changing shape and body composition (losing fat, gaining muscle) and ignore weight completely but I hear ya, I hear ya. It’s hard not to get on the ‘lose weight’ bandwagon. But let me tell ya sista, the weight won’t just suddenly drop off because you set a goal. You need to figure out HOW that goal is going to happen. Like the dental example above, what will help in your weight loss endeavor? What will be your teeth brushing, flossing and mouthwash? Think of these as your mini goals, or baby steps to get to the big goal.

Weight loss? Great! How? Diet and exercise! Cool, how often? What are you going to change? duration? Choices? Does this mean quitting something? Adding something in? Changing a fitness program? What SPECIFIC steps you need to reach that big goal? I personally try to change one thing per month, rather than everything at once. Make those changes a habit before moving on to something new.

measurable

Discover something you can Measure! Dropping 10 lbs might sound like something you can measure but really it’s only part of it. What about girth measurements or Body Fat percentage? Sometimes you don’t see a drop on the scale but can shrink your size dramatically! Not sure about you but I’d take dropping 2 pant sizes over 10lbs anyday! Looking and feeling better is way more important to me than being at “X” weight, along with feeling happier (because exercise releases those happy endorphins!). Take starting stats and retest at 30 day intervals. Don’t jump on the scale everyday expecting some dramatic change. This isn’t the lotto, your life won’t change overnight, #truthbomb, sorry to burst your bubble. Along with the main goal, how will you measure your mini goals?

achievable

Looking and feeling better is way more important than weight loss in my opinion but if weight loss your goal is it achievable? You and I both see the crazy magazines touting losing 10lbs in 10 days. But really, is that achievable? Maybe if you chopped off a limb! Set a goal that is challenging but doable. You need to lose 10lbs? Great, how? What and how are you going to keep track of that goal? Don’t try and run before you can walk. Example: If your fitness goal is to hold a 5 minute plank, you wouldn’t start with a goal of 5 minutes right? You’d start with a goal of 1 minute (or less depending on your fitness level). That’s the purpose of those smaller goals. They give you something to aim for that is achievable while you strive towards that big goal.

realistic

This is where you take a moment to get real with yourself. Say you want to lose 30lbs, BUT you are in nursing school full time, working part-time, and have family commitments, so your time and budget is limited. Are you going to be able to work out 6 days a week, and spend time preparing healthy homemade meals? Probably not. So don’t set a goal of losing 50lbs this year. Revise that because it’s probably not realistic given your schedule. Weight loss takes a lot of hard work, time, and consistency. Changes don’t happen quickly and setting that goal of 50lbs is setting yourself up for failure when you already  have an already overfull plate. Switch your mindset instead to losing less total weight, staying more active, and eating better. Baby step your way to that goal because if you set that unrealistic expectation you’ll feel like shit when you don’t make it and spiral downwards into more weight gain faster than you can say cookie jar. Science and mat tell us that to lose 1lb a week we need to reduce our calorie expenditure by 3500 a week. That’s 500 a day. That’s around 1 spin class daily AND eating a balanced diet to your daily calorie goal. Not including adjustments for things like hormones, metabolic rate, gender, age, stress levels etc which all can influence your weight loss rate. Be realistic with yourself. If you have too much stuff on your plate already what are you going to change to achieve your realistic goals?

timely

As with all things set a deadline! I’m fond of yearly goals broken into smaller monthly  goals. Others do 90 days. However set that goal and set a deadline for it. 30lbs in 1 year, might be possible. With a lot of hardwork and dedication. Again though is that deadline achievable and realistic? Those headlines that say lose 30lbs in 30 days isn’t realistic or achievable. Again long term and short term. Work your goals into your life, make the changes you need to get there little by little, play the long game!

goals questions blog post 2016
For this sheet, and more like it sign up for my Health & Fitness Planner!

One thing I want to add is to hold yourself accountable somehow, which is why I added this accountability sheet in my Health & Fitness planner. Write out your intention and set it in writing. Maybe find an accountability partner who you are going to have hold you to it. Check it with them each week/month to see how things are going. Recruit family members to workout with you. Get everyone in the family eating better, remember childrens healthy habits come from healthy parents!

I have a TON of goals I want to achieve in 2016 and you better believe I’d worked through the SMART system. Hold yourself accountable, tell me one of your goals for 2016 and how you’re going to achieve it!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hannah

    January 11, 2016 at 8:03 pm

    I agree setting goals is sooooo important! I love all of your tips. Maybe it will help me stick with mine this year 😉

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      January 13, 2016 at 2:36 pm

      Good luck hannah!

      Reply
  2. Orana

    January 11, 2016 at 7:27 pm

    Great Graphics! Goals are so important I didn’t use to put my mind to them before I have started and things are getting better. Thanks for the reminder that they need to be SMART

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      January 13, 2016 at 2:36 pm

      Thanks! I like spending time in photoshop 😉

      Reply
  3. CourtneyLynne

    January 11, 2016 at 6:59 pm

    Love this!!! I’m all about realistic goals as well!! If you set realistic goals it sets you up for success…. Then the unthinkable can happen 😉

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      January 13, 2016 at 2:36 pm

      exactly! Set yourself up for success! Challenging but realistic!

      Reply
  4. Jannine

    January 11, 2016 at 5:11 pm

    I’m all about smart goals! Thanks for the post 🙂

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      January 13, 2016 at 2:35 pm

      Thanks!

      Reply
  5. Heather

    January 11, 2016 at 11:07 am

    I’m with you – tons of goals for this year 🙂 First up is a whole house purge. I feel like I just did this last summer, but I know that I have a lot more that we can get rid of. I’m planning on starting in my kitchen this week!

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      January 13, 2016 at 2:35 pm

      Oh this is freaky, I’ve been doing the same thing! I started a little before xmas and just kept the ball rolling. Loving more open space and less STUFF.

      Reply
  6. Nikka Shae

    January 11, 2016 at 7:37 am

    I found this really helpful!! I love goal planning and you made this simple for me to start for 2016.

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      January 13, 2016 at 2:34 pm

      Awesome! Good luck!

      Reply
  7. OurFamilyWorld

    January 11, 2016 at 4:47 am

    These are awesome tips. “Break your goals into bite size chunks to more easily achieve success!” I like this. It makes goals easier to achieve.

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      January 13, 2016 at 2:34 pm

      Totally! I love making monthly goals, taken from my yearly goals.

      Reply
  8. jill conyers

    January 11, 2016 at 1:35 am

    Only my bogging goals are set for sure. That and completing yoga teacher training. I’m still trying to narrow down the rest. Too much I want to do!

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      January 13, 2016 at 2:34 pm

      Ha that was me last year Jill! Yoga teacher training took up a lot of time and energy for sure!

      Reply
  9. laura londergan

    January 10, 2016 at 9:36 pm

    love the Motley Crue reference 😉 I started on my goals in oct. decided to start eating clean & I had lost 35 lbs. by Christmas. Now my goal is to start exercising regularly, continue eating clean and get rid of all of the ‘bigger’ clothes because forward is the ONLY place I am going.

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      January 13, 2016 at 2:33 pm

      YES! Love to hear this! Keep at it girl!

      Reply
  10. Jessica {Swanky Recipes}

    January 9, 2016 at 9:58 pm

    I found this really helpful. I def have trouble making a specific goal mostly because I’m afraid I’ll fail. However, giving a specific amount of time will allow me to either achieve it or move on to a new goal with a better plan instead of dwindling with it and doing nothing because I can.

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      January 13, 2016 at 2:32 pm

      Jessica, helps to break down that goal into bite size chunks!

      Reply
  11. Kassie O'Driscoll

    January 9, 2016 at 7:07 pm

    This is a great list and I’m going to mark it to return to when I need a refesher! January is totally the best time to start thinking about goals… but I’m due in April so I think that I’ll revisit this when I don’t have as many restrictions!

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      January 9, 2016 at 7:49 pm

      Hahaha oh definitely not the time for goals like this! Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!

      Reply
  12. Ana De Jesus

    January 9, 2016 at 12:43 pm

    I agree goals need to be realistic and achievable but at the same time don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. Great list.

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      January 9, 2016 at 7:49 pm

      yep it’s a fine line! Challenging but doable!

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Di. A yoga teacher with over 20 years experience in the health and wellness industry. My mission is to give you information so you can be fitter, healthier, stress-free and happier (no, seriously).

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