Planning SMARTer

You leave the house with no particular place to go. When you come to the end of the driveway which way do you turn? Does it matter?

I’m sure you can agree with me that it does matter. Having a plan is essential for any quick trip to the grocery store, week vacation, and even weight loss.

Setting a SMARTer Plan

The first step to getting somewhere is to be clear on where you’re going. One way to do this is to set a SMART goal.

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Timely

My Goal This Week

Last week my weight crept up over 165 (too many cookies and too much eating out). So here’s my SMART goal for this week:

I’m going to keep my weight under 164.

Let’s see if it meets the SMART criteria:

“I will keep my weight under 164” is both Specific and Measurable. An example of a goal that is not Specific or Measurable would be “I’m going to keep my weight down.”

My goal is both Attainable and Realistic. Setting a goal of getting my weight under 160 would be attainable but not realistic, at least for me. Setting a goal to get under 150 by next week would not be attainable.

Finally, because I set a Time period of one week for this goal it meets all the requirements for a SMART goal.

Here’s How I Will Achieve My SMART Goal This Week

1. No eating out except for veggie sandwiches at Subway
2. No cookies this week
3. Light suppers (no more than 1 bowl of cereal and a piece of fruit)
4. Walk an hour each day

What’s your SMART Goal and what are you going to do to reach it?