Goal Setting Primer

Welcome to The 5/10/15, where we provide you with the tools you need to reach your health and fitness goals!

Step one of the process is creating clearly defined goals, and the action items, or systems,  you will need to meet those goals. Let’s walk through that process.

First, clearly define your goal.

A client once told me, “My goal is to lose weight to be healthier.”  While that sounds like a good idea, it left a lot of ambiguity, which reduces her chance of success.

The SMART goal strategy has been a useful tool for helping people create achievable goals for decades. The acronym stands for:

S Specific 

M Measurable

A Achievable

R Realistic

T Time Bound

Using the SMART strategy, my client was able to create a goal that provided the direction she needed to maintain her focus.

“I want to lose a total of 30 pounds before my next birthday (six months away), in order to lower my fasting blood sugar to normal and prevent type two diabetes.”

Now, she has a specific goal, that’s measurable ( -30 pounds), achievable and realistic  ( ~1 pound per week),  and has a time limit ( six months). 

Next:  How do we achieve results?

“Fix the output and the input will fix itself” - James Clear

In his bestselling book, Atomic Habits, James Clear describes goals as the output, and systems as the input. For instance, in the example of  my client’s goal to lose thirty pounds before her next birthday, her systems would  be her daily nutrition plan, workout regimen, and stress management practices.

Both goals and systems are important. Your goals will direct your systems, and your systems will drive your goals. 

Read our next post on creating SMART goals.  And then read on to find out how to monitor, manage, and modify your goals as you go along.