Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Getting Even S.M.A.R.T.er!

I guess it's all right to start the New Year with something different, isn't it?  Well, this is my first "blog-by-request" and it's a response to my friend Dawn, who wanted to know more details about S.M.A.R.T. goals, which I referenced earlier this week. 

I was never taught where the concept came from, but the process is used in many, many corporate environments.  But it certainly shouldn't be confined to big businesses, which is why I took it upon myself to teach our teenagers about it.  The basic idea is that a goal cannot be accomplished without first creating a game plan.  The acronym S.M.A.R.T. actually stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Sensitive. 

In order to better explain, let me use a common goal - one of my resolutions, in fact, and one that probably millions of Americans are probably thinking about, especially today: getting healthy!  I don't have a problem sharing my stuggles, so I'll use myself as the example.  The goal of "getting healthy" is a noble one - but doomed to fail unless it is more specific.  For a fourteen-year-old in my youth group, for example, "getting healthy" could be as simple as joining a sports team at school.  For a person recently diagnosed with cancer, "getting healthy" is a completely different vision.  So I need to create a SPECIFIC goal.  For me, losing about 35 pounds and being closer to a normal BMI for my height would be "getting healthy".  (I should note that BMI charts do not take into consideration body type, so even though a girl my height is considered "healthy" at 90 pounds, I have too many curves for that to be an ideal weight for me!  Plus I don't want to have to shop at Justice for my entire adult life.  Sheesh.)

Part of defining your goal includes how you'll realize when you have accomplished it!  This is why a goal must be MEASURABLE.  If it's too vague, you have no way of knowing you've done it.  Since I gave myself a clear-cut goal, the scale will tell me when I have reached it.  Another part of your goal being measurable includes the steps you plan in order to reach it. including actions you'll take, accountability, rewards along the way, and methods of getting back on track if you slip up.  Here's how I made my goal measurable: 1.) I downloaded an app for my phone called MyFitnessPal and it helps me track my calories.  Also, through the network, I can connect with other people trying to lose weight.  Specifically, I am trying to add female friends in the Pittsburgh area around my age, Christians if possible, so we can encourage each other along the way.  2.) I will weigh in once per week.  3.)  I will not "get down on myself" if I overeat one day, but I will also not use it as an excuse to quit.  4.) I want to lose 32 pounds by my 32nd birthday (November 15, 2013).  That gives me a very clear end in sight!

A goal is unreasonable if it's not ACHIEVABLE for you.  For example, with lots of determination and excellent planning, I am certain that a person could lose 30 pounds in just a few months, rather than almost a year.  However, I am not a determined person nor am I an excellent planner.  Giving myself more time allows me the chance to make gradual changes, which I am more likely to keep, moving forward. 

In addition, the goal has simply got to be REALISTIC.  Winning the lottery might be a great dream, but dreams and goals aren't the same!  There is nothing wrong with dreaming.  It's what makes us human and gives us ambitions and desires and imaginations.  But dreaming cannot bring anything to pass.  Unless we're talking Inception, here.  Which we're not.  Unless you know something I don't know.

Hand-in-hand with making your goal specific and measurable, it's got to be TIME-SENSITIVE.  Let's go with the weight-loss example again.  Losing 15 pounds in 15 weeks and losing the same amount of weight in 6 months would require very different plans.  Which suits your goal?

Some other things to consider when setting goals are the same thing your grade-school English teacher pounded into your brain: the five W's!

Who will help you reach your goals?  Who has already reached a similar goal?
Why is the goal important to you? 
What is your plan, and how will you stay on track?  What steps will you take?
Where will you be when you've reached your goal? 
When you rach your goal, how will you celebrate?

It sounds bookish, but once you come up with a plan, write it down - step by step.  Tell someone you trust about your goal.  Put it on facebook.  Whatever you need to do to keep yourself focused on your goal! 

Which reminds me...I should probably have my teenagers post their goals on a board we can all see - so we can all help each other achieve success!

Again, best wishes for an exciting and peaceful 2013!

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