Smart Goal Setting for 2007

The New Year is here. It is the time of year that a lot of people make resolutions that usually don't last beyond a week or two. So why do New Year resolutions fail? How can we effectively set or re-set our goals for the coming year in a manner that will ensure, or at least increase your chances, of reaching your goals?

So, set your goals the SMART way. What is the SMART way? Keep reading...

The SMART principle is is that your goals must be:

S pecific

make your goal specific, not "I want to lose weight", but "I want to lose 5kg".

M easurable

you must be able to measure whether or not the objective was achieved, and within the time frame specified. For example, "I lost 6kg within my specified time frame".

A chievable

your objective needs to be achievable withing the given time frame considering your knowledge, skills and strengths. For example, it would not be achievable to run a 2 hour 15 minute marathon next month if you have never run a day before in your life . It would be more achievable to say that you will complete a 5 km fun run in two months time.

R ealistic

your goals need to be realistic considering your other commitments, resources and available facilities. For example, it would be realistic to say, "I will swim 1km three times a week" if you have access to a local swimming pool. It would be an unrealistic goal if no swimming pool facility was available.

T ime line

all goals should have a time frame in which they are to be achieved. This includes breaking the time line into smaller SMART goals. For example, "I will lose 5kg by the end of the year" is a Time line based goal that can be broken down into smaller goals such as, "I will lose 1 kg within two months".

More importantly, have fun working towards your goals. The journey is just as important as the destination.

I hope this helps you set or re-set your goals for the coming year. If you need some assistance in your goal setting, please contact me via the details on the side of this page.

Steve