Why a problem? Goals are only as effective as they are specific, measurable, and attainable. Specific goals give you a target to shoot for; measurable goals give you a way to gauge your success; and attainable goals challenge you but don’t leave you frustrated or discouraged. It is very important to keep a written record of your goals and your goal progress – for example, keeping an exercise log that you can refer to often.
Solution: Make your goals specific and measurable (“My goal is to do my 30-minute workout 3 times per week for the next 12 weeks”) and challenging but attainable (“I want to increase my strength by 10% every two weeks”). Goals should provide an optimal challenge – difficult but do-able. You should also develop an action plan for how you will attain your goal. This plan should focus on things like fitting exercise into your schedule, or what you will do if you can’t make it to the gym.
Error #2: Setting goals that only relate to an outcome (“lose 10 pounds”).
Why a problem? Athletes know that having goals based exclusively on outcomes (e.g., winning the match) is dangerous. Why? Because in most cases, what we refer to as outcome goals are the most out of your control. It is no different for exercisers. In the case of losing weight, many other factors influence weight loss -your diet, the amount you are exercising, even the type of exercise you are doing, to name a few. Staying motivated is hard enough without limiting our idea of what “success” is!
Solution: Be sure your goals focus on improvement, learning, and health. For example, instead of having a goal of “losing 10 pounds”, focus on your personal performance (“I will increase my average steps per day by 10% each week”) and the process of losing weight (“I will improve my form when doing my circuit workout”). These performance and process goals will lead you to your outcome, without causing the anxiety and pressure sometimes associated with pure outcome goals.
Error #3: Setting too many goals or setting goals that are not realistic.
Why a problem? With goals, more is not necessarily better. Having more than 2 primary goals deflects us in too many directions. We lose focus, or we underestimate the commitment it takes to achieve our goals. For example, Jane, who has not exercised regularly for the last 5 years, says that she will get up 1 hour earlier every day and go to the gym to work out before going to work, as well as adapt her family’s diet to focus on more fruits and vegetables. Although her goals are noble, they require a considerable time commitment. The danger is that she will not reach one of her goals, and end up abandoning them all out of frustration.
Solution: Focus on one or two primary (or long-term) goals, then develop a series of short-term goals that can lead to the primary goal. For example, Jane can have a long-term goal of exercising 4-5 times per week, with a short-term goal of exercising 3 times this week. By starting more reasonably, she can build up her confidence, and get comfortable with her routine. What is important is that you set yourself up for success, not failure.
These are just a few tips for setting successful goals. In summary, the best way to make sure your goals are achieved is to make them “SMARTER” – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-contingent, Evaluate, and Revise. Following this plan will help convert your New Year’s Resolutions to New Year’s Realities.
Upcoming topics…Moving from “someone who exercises” to being “an exerciser”: The power of identity; The importance of social support in exercise behavior; How do I know this is working? Using multiple sources of information to judge progress; Tricks of the trade for getting and keeping motivated.
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This article was contributed by Diane Whaley and Blake Rushin of the University of Virginia. Copyright 2007.
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