It's SMART to set goals

I'm a big believer in setting goals. I think the best way to see your progress is to set a goal that you can see yourself working toward and eventually accomplishing. If you do this, there is no doubt of your progress. Also, working from couch potato to 5K with a plan in mind is a lot more gratifying than saying I'd like to lose 10 pounds over and over again. Imagine the energy of a race and all of your hard work coming to fruition as you cross the finish line. Let me tell you, its quite exhilarating.

SMART is a goal setting acronym that's often used and is very useful:

SPECIFIC - You need to set a specific goal, for example, my wife is training for a half marathon on September 20th (Bolder Backroads, great race if anyone is interested). She has set a specific goal. I want to get fit isn't specific.

MEASURABLE - You have to know when and if you have reached your goal. So, you might want to say I'd like to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks (then get specific, how are you going to accomplish that goal).

ACHIEVABLE - Be honest with yourself about your abilities. There are also other things to take in to consideration like your schedule and family time. For example, I would like to complete an Ironman Triathlon, but given my school schedule and family this isn't an option for me right now. It's not outside of my ability but its also not a goal that will work with my life.

REWARD-ORIENTED - This is a Pavlov's dog kind of experiment. When you do something that you have planned to do to make the next step towards your goal treat yourself to something. My wife might get a facial for every mile she increases towards her 13 mile goal, for example. This just gives you a positive reinforcement and another reason to strap on your gym shoes.

TIME-FRAMED - You need to give yourself a deadline to provide a sense of urgency. If you give yourself a year to lose 10 pounds you will probably be doing the same thing for the same 10 pounds next year. Be realistic but don't be too generous.

I would add to this acronym ACCOUNTABILITY. If you are accountable to someone (preferably not your husband or wife) you are more likely to meet your goals. Sometimes we just need some encouragement.

To that end, please respond with some of the goals you have for yourself in the coming months.