HOW TO ACHIEVE SMART GOALS

Now that you know “what is a SMART goal?” let’s look at a few tips for achieving them.

START SMALL

Instead of tackling your most urgent or loftiest goal (like losing 30kg in 8 weeks or running a marathon in 6 weeks time), pick something small to start with, like learning to become more organised & prepared or making a commitment to your desired training sessions. Chunk your goals into smaller, actionable items and prioritise which actions you’ll take next. Not only will this make your goals easier to visualise, but it will help you create a Massive Action Plan that leads to success.

Creating smaller steps on your way to massive results will help you focus your energy. This level of clarity puts power behind your goals, giving you the opportunity to measure your progress at frequent intervals, take new actions and achieve success.

WRITE IT DOWN

According to a study conducted at the Dominican University in California, those who write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them. It doesn’t matter whether you write your SMART goals in a journal, enter them into an app or type them into a Word document. Just make sure they are documented. Then run through the checklist of ensuring your goals are following the SMART outline: Are you phrasing the goal to be specific, measurable, attainable and realistic within a time frame? If not, reevaluate your goals and start again.

CHECK-IN REGULARLY

How long will it take you to reach your SMART goals? How do you know if you’re falling off track? Regular check-ins allow you to evaluate your progress and course-correct when necessary. If you’re not beelining toward your goal, you need to know exactly when you made that left turn. Check in early and often to catch any changes in your progress, which will give you a chance to transform the setback into a success.

DON’T LET FEAR HOLD YOU BACK

If you’re not making the progress you’d like, take a look at what’s holding you back. Are you hesitant because your goal or approach is unreasonable, or are you reticent because of a deep-seated fear of failure? Finding the source of your hesitation is critical, since overcoming our fears is pivotal to goal mastery as well as personal and professional development. Once you understand your fear, do what you need to remove it from the situation as you work toward achieving your goals.

EMBRACE THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION

The good news is that hunger for a goal frees you from your fear of failure, even if the goal seems intimidating. Rather than being bound by your insecurities, you can embrace mind-body practices to master your emotions and achieve your peak state. In this way, SMART goal setting is a path toward self-discovery and, in turn, will help you achieve outcomes you never thought possible.

CELEBRATE EVERY WIN

When you celebrate wins even the small ones your brain gets a boost of dopamine that reenergises and refocuses you. If you’re working on professional SMART goals, celebrate small wins with your team. Not only will this help you to continue to press forward but it will also inspire your team to do the same. Personal successes? Celebrate with your friends or family. After you’ve celebrated, get right back on track so you can work toward celebrating the next win.

SMART GOAL HEALTH EXAMPLE

Losing 3% body fat the next eight weeks. Do this by committing to your training program 3-4x per week. And meal prepping everything to a tee on the food guideline so I do not over eat and stick at my calorie intake.

• Specific: There are both weekly and daily goals here, making this SMART goal specific.

• Measurable: There are three aspects of this goal that are measurable – minutes, days and calories.

• Attainable: Rather than aiming for an overall “goal weight,” setting increments to keep your goal attainable is definitely SMART.

• Realistic: It’s important to think long term when it comes to lasting weight loss. 1kg per week is not a realistic goal but instead hitting a certain body fat % is a realistic goal that won’t overwhelm you.

• Time frame: Get a dexa scan in the beginning of the challenge and at the end of the challenge whilst taking check in pics, and checking in weekly with how your clothes fit!