Your Challenge Today:
Divide your SMART GOALS into small jobs.
By Bernadette Kathryn, LMT, IHLC
Nothing is hard,
if you break it into small jobs!
~ Henry Ford
SMART GOALS are:
- The object of your ambition …
- What you are aiming for …
- Your desired result …
- Supposed to be a stretch …
A goal is not the same as a want or a vision. You can have a vision of being smart, slim, and sexy … while your GOAL may be to lose 10, 20 or 30 lbs. When we declare a GOAL for our life, it’s wise to break each goal into small jobs, with manageable tasks that we can measure. Goal setting is as an art, it takes practice and learning to be specific with your goals is the first ‘secret’ to success.
SMART GOAL:
- Specific ~ choose 1-3 very specific goals for this game period. Something like ~ lose 10 lbs is a reasonable goal. Begin a new fitness endeavor such as swimming, tennis or joining a running club to prepare for a 5K.
- Measurable ~ this game period is 10 weeks and that is a baseline measure for your goals. You can be even more specific by breaking your small jobs into weekly tasks.
- Achievable ~ your goal is something that you actually can achieve in a 10 week period of time. It needs to be something that you actually have control over like, what you eat, when you exercise, how much time you spend studying, etc.
- Realistic ~ while it may be a stretch to lose 1 lb. per week, it is a perfectly realistic goal. Organizing your schedule to exercise in short sessions throughout the day and week can easily be added to a busy life. While running a marathon at the end of this 10 week period might not be a realistic goal.
- Timely ~ another aspect of successful goal setting is working through the process of the goal and tasks making sure that you have the time to work on the small jobs that are necessary for success. When are you going to exercise, shop, chop, and cook? What do you realistically have time for and are able to work into your schedule?
This game is 10 weeks and our lifestyle stays with us for our lifetime! Choosing a healthy lifestyle is just that — a choice. And, that choice is one we are faced with time and again when we get stressed, are hungry, travel, and go out with friends and family. We are constantly bombarded with a multitude of choices that can either support our Living Fit Lifestyle choice or not.
It is completely unrealistic to think that we will make the healthiest choice 100% of the time, which is why this game has built in Guidelines for the GameGuidelines for the Gameeach week. We all need to take a break from our work, workout, ‘diet’ and chores — decompress a little, right? The objective of this game is to help us become more aware of the choices that we are all making everyday, over and over again, that either support our health or not. Once we begin to see the behaviors, that can potentially be destructive over time, we are better able to change them. And, if we really want to support our health and that of our families — consistency in healthy choices is the most supportive thing we can do for ourselves.
Share one of your SMART GOALS for this game period
~ use this group to keep you accountable!
Choosing a healthy lifestyle is just that — a choice #LivingFitLifestyle Click To Tweet
I would like to lose 5-10 pounds and increase my stamina. I need to work at it because a new job has made it very easy to let things slide when I am busy, tired or stressed.
My goal is to better integrate eating healthily and exercising regularly with working full time. My plan is set out a program for each day with contingencies if my schedule changes. The result I am looking for is for this to be my normal day by the end of the game, feeling natural and comfortable.
organizing the house is my goal. i will be breaking it down into rooms. my first concern is the basement. we have discovered a mold problem and so 20 years of boxes etc. must be sorted through and hopefully most put out for the trash. i get overwhelmed easily so i go there a few days a week with fresh eyes and get rid of a few things at a time.
my overall plan with the game is to organize my daily eating menus with the help of Bernadette’s recipes and to find new exercises that don’t hurt.
sometimes, this seems like the hardest part — trying to figure out how to go about doing something new – I try to visualize it before and figure out how it will be, see it, do it, what’s happening, what do i need – supplies, what do I need to do to make it happen, etc. Taking this time helps me figure out a general guideline for myself and then I can adjust as I got along and learn… finding a mentor would be good too!
My plan is to use this game time with you all to keep me honest — stay the course with exercise, cooking so we can eat healthy and clean out those closets – by the end of the game!