It’s October which means it is fall AND the last quarter of 2020! I love to do a little refresh for the last quarter so I can finish the year strong. The best way I have found to do this is to set a major goal for myself. We have all been there. We set goals and a few weeks later we quit. I have found that this is because we are not setting goals that are achievable. This is not to say you cannot achieve them but rather we usually go about setting them the wrong way. Today, I want to share 4 easy steps to take when setting achievable goals.

1. Evaluate where you currently are

The first step in successfully setting a goal is to be honest with yourself. Where are you currently? What are you doing well? Where could you do better? Whatever or wherever it maybe, this step is crucial. Get out a pen and paper and WRITE. IT. DOWN. You need to be able to see the full picture before you can set a goal and achieve it.

2. Where do you want to be?

Once you know where you stand, think about where you want to be. Do you want more energy? Do you want to lose some weight? Again, write it down. By writing it down, you will have vision for your goal.

3. List the things that will get you there

Now that you know where you want to be, you can list out the steps to take that will get you there. For example, I want to improve my overall body composition and have more energy. This requires multiple steps including: staying consistent in my programming, eating a more balanced diet, drinking more water, and getting 8 hours of sleep.

4. Choose ONE thing from that list and make it SMART

If I tried to do every step on this list, I would get overwhelmed and I would eventually quit. This is the biggest problem I see when people are trying to improve their health. They try to do too much all at once. I know it is hard, but choose ONE thing from your list and commit to it. Your one thing should be the most important thing on the list. For example, I will be more consistent with my programming. This will help me to improve my body composition by building more muscle mass and losing body fat, but it will also give me more energy throughout the day. Just saying I will improve my body composition is not enough. I need to make this goal SMART. SMART stands for:

• Specific: Your goal should be specific. It should not be too broad.
• Measurable: You should be able to measure your progress.
• Attainable: You should be able to reasonably accomplish this goal from where you are now.
• Relevant: Your goal should be relevant to your long-term objectives.
• Time-bound: Your goal should have a time table. This is the one aspect I do not stick to 100%. Everyone’s fitness journey is different, so I don’t like putting a date on exact results. Instead, use this time-frame to measure your progress or to commit to your goal.

For example, my SMART goal could look like, “I will go to the gym 5 times per week for the next 12 weeks, so I can gain muscle and lose fat.” This states the goal of consistency in specific terms. I will be able to track my progress by marking which days I go to the gym. The goal is attainable and relevant to where I am now and to my long-term objectives. I also gave myself a time frame to commit to.

Today, I challenge you to go through this process to set achievable goals for yourself. Tag me on Instagram with the goal you chose to set, and let me know how I can support you in reaching it!

Xoxo,

Jessica