But often they become frustrated or bored and give up when they are unable to fulfill their resolutions. Remember that making a resolution is really just setting a goal. Not understanding how to set effective and attainable goals is one reason why so many fail to keep those resolutions. If you have set some New Year’s fitness resolutions and want to keep them, then you need to think about how you are going to reach those goals.
Think “SMARTER”
When you are setting new goals, remember to “think SMARTER”. This acronym is an easy way to remember the guidelines for effective goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-contingent, Evaluate, and Revise. Specific goals – “I will be able to run for 30 minutes without stopping by June 1” – instead of vague goals – “I will run more by summer” - are much more effective. Measurable goals chart your progress at specific intervals. Achievable goals should challenge you, not discourage or bore you. Realistic goals should take into consideration your fitness level and time commitments – only you know what will work for you. Time contingent goals have a specific target date and timeline. Evaluating and revising your goals periodically allows you to check your progress and consider any changes that will keep you on the road to success. Although all of the ingredients of the SMARTER plan are essential for success, our focus for the rest of this article will be on how to keep those new fitness goals realistic and attainable.
Setting unrealistic goals often ends up in frustration for exercisers, especially those who are trying to incorporate more physical activity into their lives. For example, Sue starts off the New Year by resolving to exercise at the gym 4 days a week for 60 minutes each time. She currently exercises for about 20- to 30 minutes on one or two days a week, depending on how much time she has available in her busy home and work schedule. While becoming more physically active is a healthy choice, Sue quickly becomes frustrated by the time commitment her new fitness plan requires. Because she has set a very high standard without much thought of strategies to achieve the goal, she gradually returns to her pre-New Year’s physical activity level. How could we help Sue achieve her goal?
The first strategy we would recommend is to add some short-term goals. For example, although Sue has a long-term goal of exercising 60 minutes 4 days a week, she could start out with a short-term goal of exercising 20 to 30 minutes on 3 days a week for 3 months. After 3 months, Sue can evaluate her plan to find out how she is doing and how she might increase her time in the gym. If that isn’t possible right away, perhaps she could make plans for supplementing her exercising - using dumbbells and a stability ball at home, going for a walk or run with a friend around her neighborhood or joining a co-worker for a lunch time walk. Sue has now set short and long term goals, added some other activities that she enjoys, and added support from others as strategies to achieve her fitness goals. Over time, increasing her commitment to fitness will likely translate into making exercise a priority, helping her to fit fitness into her schedule.
A final issue regarding Sue’s original New Year’s resolution was that she only had 1 way to define her success, and this was based on a very specific outcome. Another strategy for achieving her fitness goals is to redefine her measure of success to not just reaching a particular outcome, but also to focus on the process of getting fitter. For example, Sue could measure her success by recording how she is becoming more comfortable and confident in her abilities, how she is sleeping better, or feeling stronger.
Everyone can set SMARTER goals, but we each have our own individual path to fitness success using strategies that work for us. Remember that success is better measured according to our own individual goals that cover the process and the outcome of being active. If we set realistic and achievable fitness goals, we’ll be on our way to a healthier, more satisfying 2008!
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This article was contributed by Diane Whaley and Blake Rushin of the University of Virginia. Copyright 2008.
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