GOALS for New Years Resolutions...

be S.M.A.R.T

With the New Year around the corner, millions of people will be making New Years resolutions. Many of the resolutions will involve fitness or weight loss goals. Goals can provide great motivation. But, if you're setting goals, it's helpful to follow some basic goal setting rules. The rules can be remembered by the mnemonic "SMART Goals".

S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Realistic
T = Time Bound

SPECIFIC
*This is the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of your goal.
*Why are you doing it? Where can you best accomplish the goal? Who can assist you best? etc.

MEASURABLE
*This is a biggie. You need to be able to measure your results.
*Saying "I want to lose weight" is not measurable. "I want to lose 15 pounds of fat is measurable"

ATTAINABLE
*This is common sense. A goal of learning how to surf isn't really attainable if you live in Wisconsin. Learning how to snow ski if you live in Hawaii is equally unattainable. Choose goals that you can logically achieve.

REALISTIC
*If you haven't exercised in years, the goal of running a marathon by the end of summer, while difficult, could be realistic. If you swim like a rock and can only train 2 days a week it's not realistic to plan on doing an Ironman Triathlon in 3 months.

TIME BOUND
* You must have a definite end date. Open ended goals are not good. The more precise the date, the better. "I want to lose 15 pounds this year" is ok, but "I want to lose 15 pounds by my birthday, October 15th" is better.

For a great article on goals and particularly New Years resolutions please visit:
Where to Begin: Expert Advice on Maintaining Resolutions

An important quote from the article:
"Action precedes motivation, not the other way around," said Dubin. "People often think that they should wait until they are motivated to start doing something good for themselves. They'll say, 'I'll start that diet or fitness program when I'm really well rested and have a lot of energy'. But it doesn't work that way."