Goal Setting for a Healthy Life

Goal setting is a process that involves knowing what you want, determining how to get it and developing a plan to guide and motivate you toward achieving it. Goal setting is a powerful skill that anyone can learn. It begins with knowing where you are and where you want to go and extends through doing the research and collecting the data that ensures success.

You may have heard of SMART goals, but the process that works best takes it a bit further and is called SMARTER goal setting. When you implement this process for all your goals, you’ll be more likely to achieve them. This method ensures your desires are grounded in reality and include the exact steps that will get you what you want.

The goal-setting process using the SMARTER way is an acronym that stands for the following:

• Specific – Being very specific in the goal you want to achieve.
• Measurable – Knowing how you will prove you are making progress.
• Attainable – Ensuring you can accomplish your goal within the timeframe you set.
• Relevant – Making sure your goal aligns with your life goals and values.
• Time-Bound – Setting a realistic deadline to achieve the goal.
• Evaluate – Regularly evaluating your goals and progress throughout the process.
• Readjust and Reward – Stepping back and readjusting either the process or goal as needed. Rewarding yourself for a job well done once you reach your goal.

This acronym ensures you acknowledge every aspect of reality as you plan your life. Using the SMARTER goal process to set goals for living a healthy life makes total sense because once you go through the process, you’ll have a clear plan translated into daily actions that will result in success. Your goal setting is now complete!

To be successful in setting SMARTER goals for a healthy life, follow these steps:

• Know What You Want – Sometimes, you need to dig deep to figure out what you really want from your life. For example, you can say, “I want to be healthy,” but if you can’t define what being healthy means to you, it’s hard to figure out how to obtain it. So, narrow down exactly what it is you want.
• Know Where You Are – As you set goals, it’s imperative not to make them so hard they aren’t achievable. For example, if you want to lose 100 pounds, it may not happen in a year and most definitely not a few weeks. Or if you want to run a marathon but have been a couch potato for a while, it’s going to take longer to reach your goal than someone who has been active for years.
• Prioritize Your Wants and Needs – You may have to tackle a needed goal, such as getting the right nutrition before you can start on a wanted goal like building muscle.
• Develop a Supportive Environment – The people you surround yourself with are critical to your success. Being around folks who want you to succeed, and who will hold you to your own stated values and desires are the right people to be near you if you’re going to achieve your goals.
• Know The Benefits of Achievement – Sometimes, it’s hard to grasp the benefits of a goal that you think you want, especially if it will take some time to achieve. Writing down all the benefits of achievement will help you keep going on tough days.
• Understand The Skills or Resources You Need to Succeed – As you design goals based on your wants and needs, you may discover that you’re missing an important skill set to accomplish the goal. You don’t need to quit; you just need to learn or buy the skillset.  
• Ensure Goals Meet the SMARTER Goal Paradigm – Don’t just guess if you’re using this process. Take the time to describe and record everything so that you have a real plan.
• Get Your Plan in Your Schedule and Implement Your Plan – Planning isn’t enough, you actual have to put the plan into action to succeed. Include everything in your schedule. Whether it’s spending five minutes doing breathing exercises or thirty minutes walking, it won’t happen if you don’t block out the time.

Finally, make sure you reward your efforts. Even if you come short of your goal but still achieve a lot in the meantime, you deserve a reward. Whether your goal is to run the Boston Marathon, lose ten pounds, or write the next bestseller, developing SMARTER goals will help. If you follow the plan created based on facts, there is no reason you won’t succeed.

And if you’d like more tools to help you reach those healthy goals, check out our Healthy New Year Transformation Bundle. This collection of tools with help you make the transition to transform your health.