SMART Resolutions

As the New Year approaches, many people around the world realize that they may not have accomplished as much as they would have liked to this year. "What have I really done in 2013 that I can be proud of?"

And then the inevitable happens: the resolution-ers unite!...for about 3 to 4 weeks. That's right, most resolutions don't last past February. But why? Why are so many people so set on reaching new goals, but when the time comes can't commit and follow through?

Well, I'm here to say that resolutions CAN work. There's a big BUT to that statement: BUT most people don't know how to set a goal that is realistic/powerful enough to stick to. 

Here's a little goal setting advice from a psychology and health studies double major (who took oodles of sports psych and nutrition electives...and is a fitness professional...and former college athlete. I've had to learn how to set goals ALOT😉)

First, let's talk about SMART Goals.

S: specificity. Your goals must be specific to your needs an aspirations. Goals are not universal!

M: measurable. Try to identify a way in which you can measure your goal attainment CONCRETELY. For example, losing X number of pounds.

A: attainable. Most goals are attainable, but first you must recognize what needs to be done in order for you to do so. For example, if you've had problems reaching similar goals in the past because of low motivation, this should be the focus of your personal preparation!

R: realistic. You must be both willing and able to make a change and work towards that goal. 

T: time-based. Set a deadline! And mini deadlines to help you stay on track to meet that longer deadline. For example, if you want to lose 15 pounds in 3 months, you could try to evenly lose 5 pounds each month. If this doesn't go as planned at the end of the first time check (first month), you have time to revisit your strategies to help you get to the end goal!

^you better believe I used SMART goal techniques to make this much progress!

Once you've successfully made a goal that fulfills all the requirements of SMART goals...the next hurdle is actually getting your butt in gear and FOLLOWING THROUGH. You can make goals all day everyday, but they're not going to do you any good in your head. Here are a couple of extra tips for success in 2014:

*Tell someone else about your goals. Hell, tell a TON of people. Point is, when you feel that other people are aware of what you need to do to accomplish your goals, it will keep you accountable. Plus, having friends and/or family in on it could be an awesome support system to pump you up when you're striving for success!

*Write your goals down. WRITE THEM DOWN! It seems so silly and simple...but people have been shown to be more successful at reaching goals if they are literally staring them in the face. 

*Practice/ use SELF-TALK. Self talk is a cognitive technique that many athletes practice so they can use when they are stressed, being too hard on themselves, or using other performance hindering behaviors. An example would be to talk oneself through a tough craving if trying to lose weight! By giving yourself examples of why you're being too hard on yourself (ex: if you call yourself fat for eating too much, say "stop! I'm not fat for eating this one thing, I will just remember this unhappy feeling next time I think I need an extra ____, and realize that losing the weight will make me happier than this extra food").

If you'd like any help setting goals for the new year, especially fitness/health goals...let me know! I'd love to help :)

AND HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR!!!!!!

❤️MK