Sample SMART Goals

Most people have already heard that setting goals is an important step in making thoughts and wishes a reality. Whether professional, personal, academic or health-related, the goal you set should be SMART. This stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant/Realistic and Time-Bound. Time and again, these goals are more motivating and get you to the next level, no matter your objective. So, in the area of health, nutrition and fitness, what does a SMART goal look like (versus a general goal). Check out these 5 examples:

General: I will eat better. (what, how, when?)
SMART: I will eat 2 servings of green vegetables daily, at lunch and at dinner. (You can also specify a duration).

General: I will be more active. (how, what, when?)
SMART: I will wake up at 6:30 am (instead of 6:45 am) on M, W, and F so I can take a 15-minute walk (or bike ride) before getting ready for work. (You can specify a specific time for your walk).

General: I will eat less sugar to lower my blood sugar levels.
SMART: I will stop adding sugar to my coffee in the morning and have an afternoon snack of 1 oz nuts and a piece of fruit instead of 2 chocolate chip cookies.

General: I will de-clutter my bedroom closet and dresser drawers, donating some items.
SMART: Every Saturday afternoon for the next month I will go through 3 drawers and 1/4 of my closet. (Furthermore, you could add that you will have 2 piles: donate and throw away, etc).

General: I will start following the Mediterranean diet.
SMART: For the next month I will transition to a Mediterranean-style diet by doing the following: eating fish 2x/wk (Tuesday and Friday), snacking on nuts, and trying a new Mediterranean-style recipe on a Sunday evening.

Motivation Tip: Bypass Boredom

Don’t get bored – with the foods you are eating, your physical activity or even the route you take to commute. Boredom can kill motivation quickly. That’s why it is important to change things up, keep them fresh.

For diet, consider trying new, healthy recipes (online), new fruits and vegetables, cooking techniques, combinations, eat in season, treat yourself to a healthy restaurant meal, experiment with vegetarian eating and include your favorites once in a while, if in smaller portions.

For fitness, start with a variety of activities to choose from. Vary time, intensity and frequency. Occasionally buy new exercise equipment or gym clothes, exercise seasonally, try a new sport or dance class, check out walking/hiking groups, change your biking/walking route, for example.

Motivation tips

Motivation, whether internal (intrinsic) or external (extrinsic) is what keeps you focused and on track for reaching wellness goals. It is said that internal (intrinsic) motivators are more valuable because they come from within and are based on what is important to you, such as your health. Extrinsic motivators, such as a deposit into your Health Savings Account (HSA) by your employer for engaging in a wellness activity gets you on track initially but typically doesn’t keep the fire burning for making long term changes.

1. Write down your goals and view them often. Write down the reasons for your goals. For example, outcome goal: “I want to reduce my fasting blood sugars to less than 99 mg/dL,” process goal (steps or how you will do it): “I will walk for 3 miles, four times/week in the morning from 8 to 9 am. And the why “My poor blood sugar control is damaging my eyes/vision,” or “I want to be healthy and fit to keep up with my grandchildren, not sick.” Keep a journal in reach.
2. Have what you need to accomplish your goal. Be equipped with the resources and tools you need to engage in behavior change and make it a part of your routine. For walking, make sure you have quality walking shoes and a path/route as well as a specific routine planned. Don’t ‘wing it’ and do it whenever you find the time. Results are motivating. Without a solid plan and action the results won’t come.
3. Surround yourself with positivity – positive people, affirmations, motivating quotes placed where you can see them, photos that drive you to engage in the behaviors what will give you results. Positive self-talk is a must. Speak good things into existence.