By Keisha Walsh
For those who know me or have worked with me, you know I love a good goal setting chat. I recognise the importance it is to have a clear and structured pathway to getting the best out of your training – whether you’re competing at an elite level or a weekend warrior. Training to achieve something always will keep your motivation high and it will keep you accountable. For most people, most of the time we don’t get where we want to be because the goals are too broad, or not set at all. Utilising the SMART goals theory is a great way to keep yourself in check.
✔️S – SPECIFIC:
The more detail the better! Rather than “I want to be stronger” know what lifts you wish to improve. What percentages you want to increase by. How many reps do you want to be able to do of this new weight.
✔️M – MEASURABLE:
Put some parameters on it! Rather than “this year I’m going to lose weight” make it “I’m going to drop two clothing sizes” or “I want to lose Xcm from my waist/hips/arms/thighs” or a goal weight you would like to achieve. Defining measurable elements that make up your goal is essential to tracking your progress, and it makes your larger, long-term goals seem more attainable.
✔️A – ACHIEVABLE:
Don’t set yourself up for failure! If you hate running don’t make it your goal to run a marathon in October. We both know that will not happen. Instead, aim to run a 5km event a few times over the year – then you may find the passion.
✔️R – REALISTIC:
Similar to achievable, but you have to be realistic when you set your goals. If you aren’t a morning person & never have been to the gym, don’t aim to go at 6am 5 days a week. You will not last long! Also, be realistic with what you want to achieve. With anything, whether it’s a performance goal or weight loss, the slower and steadier the change the longer it’ll last.
✔️T – TIME:
Put a time limit in place! By when do you want to achieve these things? What milestones are you going to hit along the way? How are you going to keep yourself accountable? Set dates on when you want to see results. Again, be realistic – you aren’t going to drop 3 dress sizes in one week. Work out when you’re going to train during the week and how long your sessions are going to be. If you’re really keen, set some time aside each week to reassess your goals and plan for the following week.
Long-term goals are usually what we set when it comes to our health and fitness. These goals then need to be broken down into smaller short-term goals, which will make your major goal a lot less daunting and you get to tick off small accomplishments along the way. These are the bones to setting a good goal. Let us know what your goals are, and if you need help mapping them out for the New Year!