The first step in achieving success in anything in life is effective goal setting.  When you can define what it is you truly want, when you can see with laser-like focus your desires, then you have a better chance in achieving it.  I believe that. I’ve experienced that.

But, we have to part the murky waters and gain some clarity of what it is we really want to achieve. So let’s not waste another minute wishing and hoping for change. Let’s make it happen and hit that Bull’s Eye in achieving great health and wellness!

Now, while I can’t go as detailed here as I do with my clients, there’s no reason why you can’t get started today! if you are looking for more support in setting your goals and an accountability plan, feel free to contact teamsharise@shariseparviz.com to get details on my coaching programs!

Lets’ get started…

 We Start by Getting SMART

1) SET YOUR GOALS.  The first step to success

Make sure you set *S*M*A*R*T goals, goals that are:

• S=Specific
• M=Measurable
• A=Attainable
• R=Relevant
• T=Time-lined

SPECIFIC:

First off, know what you want and be specific about it.
I am a firm believer that you have to state exactly what you want out of life in order to get it. Don’t just say, “Gosh, I’d like to lose some weight.” But, for example, say, “I will lose10 lbs and I will do it by exercising for 30 mins and switching to a whole foods diet.”

MEASURABLE: 

Make sure that goal has measurable results.
Instead of just saying, “I am going to start exercising.” Say, “I am going to exercise 3 times a week for 30 mins.” or ,”I am going to eat 1 more serving of vegetables or fruits each day”.  This way you can see at the end of the day/week if you met your goal.

TIP:  Find someone you can be accountable to, someone you can check in with weekly to share your progress.  Better yet, get that someone to join you in their own fitness quest.

ATTAINABLE : 

It is also very important when setting goals to be realistic. That your goal is something that you can achieve in an amount of time that you can realistically achieve it.
No matter how hard I try I will never be “runway model” material. It’s just not my body type. So, I have to be realistic and accept this fact.

So, be honest with yourself and focus on what you can achieve and what your personal best can be and go after that!

TIP: Also it is not realistic to set a goal that you will lose 20 pounds in two weeks. 1-2 lbs a week is a realistic HEALTHY weight loss goal. Any more than that and you risk losing muscle (not good if you want to lose fat) and water (which results in only temporary weight loss).

RELEVANT:  

And please make the goal relevant to you. Make it yours.
If you are setting your life’s goals in hopes of gaining love and approval from others, you are setting yourself up for failure. Oh, you may succeed in the short term, but it wont last. You will grow in resentment or feel let down and your change will not be permanent.  We cannot fit into another’s idea of who we should be. We cannot fit into any mold but the one that was created specifically for us. We cannot live changing ourselves just to please others. Please do not throw your life away, do not waste your precious time trying to meet someone else’s goals for you.

Live for the goals you set for you. You will never be happy chasing and changing yourself into what someone else wants. That is an endless and pointless quest.  So choose a goal that fits with your desires, your lifestyle, and the other goals in your life.

So, shoot for YOUR dreams. This is Your life.  YOU choose how to live it.

TIME-LINED:

And finally, a SMART goal must be time-lined in that it has a start and finish date. If the goal is not time constrained, there will be no sense of urgency and motivation to achieve your goal.

So building on the example above: “”I will lose10 lbs and I will do it by getting up and exercising for 30 mins and switching to a whole foods diet.”

Make it time-lined, “I will lose 10 lbs by March 21st and I will do it by getting up and exercising every morning for 30 mins and switching to a whole foods diet starting on January 4th.

More examples of SMART goals.

• I will increase my water intake from two glasses to four glasses a day by drinking a glass of water at 10am, 1pm, 4pm, and 7pm and continuing for the next 14 days.
• I will listen to classical music for 45 minutes starting this Friday night at 8pm and continuing for the next two weeks to help me relax after a long week.
• I will set aside 30 minutes every Saturday morning at 10:00am to discuss any family concerns with my spouse so that by the end of the next 4 weeks, we will have spent 2 hours together focusing on how to improve our relationship with our children.

Next Steps

TIP:  Write it Down
Write down your SMART Goal.  In fact, think of it as a contract with yourself and sign it! Then make copies of it and hang it up where you will see it daily. Carry it with you in your wallet or purse and put it on the refrigerator and pantry doors. Keeping your goal in sight will help you so that when temptation rears its ugly head, you will be reminded of your true desire and can ask yourself if your actions are going to bring you closer to your goal or pull you away.

TIP: Set Mini Goals to Help you Achieve that Long Term SMART GOAL

Now once you have set your long term smart goal, signed it, and made copies of it, think of setting mini goals for the month.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, right? And if your goal is something completely out of your comfort zone, then setting mini goals and taking small next steps will set you up for success, help you avoid overwhelm, and give you the small wins that help you build habits and keep you motivated.

These mini goals should be goals that follow the SMART guidelines and that bring you closer to your long term goal.  This will help you at the end of the week (and month) in seeing if you are on the right track or if you need to make some adjustments.

Homework Assignment:

This week, set your long term SMART goal with 3-4 mini goals to achieve this month. Start with one mini goal the first week and continue to add the other mini goals each week.

Taking the above example Long Term SMART goal: “I will lose 10 lbs by March 21st and I will do it by getting up and exercising every morning for 30 mins and switching to a whole foods diet starting on January 4th.

Mini Goals: Now, these are just examples. Remember to choose your goal and the mini goals that are right for you!

1. 1st week: I am going to eat breakfast every morning and switch from my bagel or donut to scrambled eggs and a piece of fruit. I will purchase my work out clothes and schedule my work outs.
2. 2nd week: I am going to get up and go for a 30 min. walk on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and take a Yoga class on Saturday.
3. 3rd week: I am going to eat one additional serving of vegetables and/or fruits each day and drink an additional glass of water.
4. 4th week: I am going to prepare all my foods at home and brown bag it to work.

Then at the end of the week and month, you can take stock, see how you did, and make adjustments where needed before adding in another set of mini goals (such as increasing your workout days to the desired amount).

And REMEMBER: No judgement here. If you slip up, don’t beat yourself up. You’ve probably done that enough already in your life. No one is perfect. Just ask yourself what it was that might have triggered you to slip up and then come up with a plan on how to prevent it in the future.

And love yourself. Have patience with yourself. Change takes time. Just get back up, dust yourself up and with your new awareness, start again!

Enjoy the Process

Finally take the time to enjoy this process. When was the last time you took time for yourself? For something to improve yourself and make you feel good!?  Getting in touch with dreams and goals that may be buried can be freeing, so enjoy stepping out and discovering a new you!

Happy Goal setting!

It’s not that it’s impossible, it ‘s just that it hasn’t been done before! So set the trail on fire