New Year: New Goals

With a new year comes new goals and like most of us I have set a few. More importantly I have come up with a way to keep my goals and would like to share them with you. 

If you have ever set a New Year’s resolution, then you already know just how easy it is to break them. It seems to be human nature to set a goal only to fall short of achieving it. Why do we do this and what can we do about it? I don’t know the answer to the first part of that question, but I have some ideas on what we can do about it. The answer to accomplishing your goals it to use the smart goals matrix – the acronym breaks down to be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Using the smart goal method can help you advance toward achieving any feet you set out to accomplish.

Specific

When you set your goals, be specific. It is important not to just make vague statements like I am going to lose weight. Instead, try saying I am going to lose 15 pounds. One of my goals in 2014 is to finish the Mayor’s Marathon in June and the inaugural Big Wild Life Runs ultra-marathon in August. My goal is not just to finish them, but to finish each race in less than five hours.

Measurable

Your goal should be something that you can measure – if I want to run a sub 5 hour marathon, how will I measure my progress? You are much more likely to stay on track and achieve your goal if, you are measuring your progress. I use a mobile app on my phone as well as participate in several smaller races prior to my big run goals. This allows me to constantly evaluate how well I am doing. It also is a way to measure where I can improve.

Attainable

Make sure you are setting realistic goals. Your goals should be challenging, but doable. The last thing you want to do is set a goal like losing 100 pounds in three months. When we set unrealistic goals, we give up and stop trying – that‘s no good. It is so important to make sure you are being real with yourself – learn from your mistakes. Examine previous goals that you may not have achieved, but would still like too. Ask yourself if you there isn’t a smaller step to accomplishing the thing you want and focus on that first.

Relevant

Your goal should matter. Think about why you want to achieve the goal you set and what relevance it has to your life. If you goal to learn how to cook escargot, you might want to have a reason for wanting to learn how to cook snails. Do you, or the people in your life enjoying eating Mollusca? Will this skill advance your career, will it somehow make you more interesting, or is this just something you think sounds cool? My running goals are health driven. I want to be healthier, and lose weight. When I run, I find that I focus more on my overall heath.

Time-Bound

Time specific goals drive us to finish what we set out to do. Each one of my goals has a shelf life by which it must be accomplished. Setting time parameters help you get where you want to go. If you want to lose 50 pounds by the end of the year, you might want to set some additional time specific goals too. For instance you might want to set a goal like losing 12 pounds every quarter.

Celebrate Your Victories

I added this last part because I think that it is important. Over the years I have accomplished some pretty tough personal goals. I know that I didn’t do them all on my own, but none the less; every little victory is worth celebrating. When I first started running, I would shout with joy after every mile and clap my hands for achieving one more mile than I did the day before. I would do the same at the gym with every 100 calories I burned. Don’t be afraid of the awkward looks you might get, people get over it quick enough, but the lasting effects of your achievements will last you a lifetime.

Good luck on achieving your goals in 2014. I wish you all the best.