SMART Goals in 7 Steps

    Dreaming of one day owning your own business, or standing on a podium with a gold medal, but not sure how to get there? As a mental performance consultant, personal trainer, and educator, I know first hand that goal setting is part of the road to success, but you have to know how to set them properly. Having short and long-term goals that are supported by action plans will let you focus on the process instead of the outcome, and make sure you are striving towards the tasks you need to do in order to succeed.
    
    Most people have goals in mind, but not many take the time to ask the important questions or create a plan of action. Setting SMART goals sets you up for success by forcing you to think about the nitty gritty. The acronym stands for: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Considering these 5 pillars, here are 7 easy steps that will help guide reflection, allowing you to make sure your goals are SMART.

STEP 1 - Write down your goal
Consider this as your mission statement.
Q: What is the goal you want to accomplish?

Example 1: I want to live an active and healthy lifestyle.
Example 2: I want to become financially responsible.

STEP 2 - Be as specific as possible
The more detailed you are about your goal, the more chance of success. Think about the following:
Q: Who needs to be involved to help you succeed?
     What exactly are you trying to accomplish?
     When do you want to do this?
     Why is this important to you?

Thought Process: In order to get the ball rolling I need to reach out to a personal trainer. I have little experience working out, and will need coaching to make sure I stay motivated and build healthy habits towards living a more active and healthy lifestyle. I want to be able to say that training from home is part of my routine in the next year. This is especially meaningful to me because I want to eventually be a father who can play with his children and grandchildren, as well as stay independent as long as possible.

Example 1: I want to live an active and healthy lifestyle by training from home.
Example 2: I want to become financially responsible by following a personal budget and saving.

STEP 3 - Measure your progress on a regular basis
Think about what metrics you can use to determine if you meet your goal. This makes your goal more tangible as it allows you to measure progress, and make it easier to evaluate if you’re on track or not. Consider setting milestones for bigger goals, this will help you stay motivated if the goal is more long-term.

Q: How can you measure your progress and know that you’ve successfully accomplished your goal?

Thought process: With the help of a coach, it will be important to first assess my baseline fitness. From there we will measure my strength and fitness every 3 months. If exercise is part of my weekly routine, strength and fitness should be slowly increasing. In a year’s time I want to be able to say that training 3-4x/week is part of my routine, that I can climb 10 flights of stairs without stopping, and that I can easily carry 5 bags of groceries from my car to the front door.

Example 1: I want to live an active and healthy lifestyle by training from home.  I will make sure it stays in my routine by consistently realizing successes.
Example 2:  I want to become financially responsible by following a personal monthly budget and saving 750$ a month for 6 months.

STEP 4 - Consider resources to help you achieve
To make sure your goal is achievable, you may need to consider shifting your mindset, or developing new skills. Reflect on how you’re going to make sure you achieve the goal and what tools you might need to get there. 
Q: Do you have the skills and abilities to meet the requirements of the goal? If not, what do you need to do in order to make sure you have the proper skillset?

Thought process: I will have to make sure I stay motivated to exercise at home. In the past this was always an issue, so I will reach out to a mental skills coach to help me shift my mindset. I will also have to make sure to be better in organizing my time so that I can prioritize exercising, while still making time for other important tasks. Using my calendar and blocking out time for tasks will be important, and something I need to do more consistently.

Example 1: I want to live an active and healthy lifestyle by training from home.  I will make sure it stays in my routine by consistently realizing successes, and staying motivated.
Example 2:  I want to become financially responsible by following a personal monthly budget and saving 750$ a month for 6 months. I’ll work with my partner on creating a budget so that we both hold each other accountable in our spending.

STEP 5 - Align your goal with your overall objectives
The goal you're setting today must be relevant to your values, priorities, and overall objectives. If not, you will have to consider revisiting your mission statement, and perhaps changing it altogether or adjusting the timeline.
Q: Why are you setting this goal now? Is it aligned with your overall objectives?

Thought process: I have more time right now, and it is the perfect opportunity for me to build new habits. I am someone who always valued health and wellness, but didn’t have the right support to work towards certain goals. Health is a priority for me and I believe that it plays a direct role in my performance at work, and with my relationships.

Example 1: I want to live an active and healthy lifestyle by training from home.  I will make sure it stays in my routine by consistently realizing successes, and staying motivated. I want to proudly tell others that my personal health is one of my top priorities.
Example 2: I want to become financially responsible by following a personal monthly budget and saving 750$ a month for 6 months. I’ll work with my partner on creating a budget so that we both hold each other accountable in our spending. We will use this savings for our Europe trip.

STEP 6 - Create a deadline
Providing a specific deadline allows you to get a clearer picture of the time you have to accomplish the goal. Having this time constraint also provides a sense of urgency. Consider if your timeline is realistic and be as specific as you can when writing a due date.
Q: When is the deadline? Is this realistic?

Thought process: After doing some research and reflecting on my past behaviors, I know that it will realistically take me about a year to build habits that stick. I don’t want a quick fix, and I know that taking my time to achieve my goals will allow me to follow through long-term.

Example 1: I want to live an active and healthy lifestyle by training from home.  I will make sure it stays in my routine by consistently realizing successes, and staying motivated. By November 1st, 2021, I want to proudly tell others that my personal health is one of my top priorities.
Example 2: I want to become financially responsible by following a personal monthly budget and saving 750$ a month for 6 months. I’ll work with my partner on creating a budget so that we both hold each other accountable in our spending. We will use this saving for our Europe trip in Summer 2021.

STEP 7 - Put your SMART goal somewhere you can see it
After reflecting on each of the 5 pillars of SMART goals, you will now have a mission statement that is more detailed. Write down your new and improved SMART goal on a piece of paper, and put it somewhere you can see it. Doing this will not only help you stay accountable to following through, but it will also provide a visual reminder of what you should be working towards.

“I want to live an active and healthy lifestyle by training from home.  I will make sure it stays in my routine by consistently realizing successes, and staying motivated. By November 1st, 2021, I want to proudly tell others that my personal health is one of my top priorities.”

It’s important to approach SMART goal-setting with a positive attitude. After going through the 7 steps, you should feel excited to have a clear plan that will help you get the ball rolling towards your next accomplishments. With that said, make it a habit to re-evaluate your goals on a consistent basis. Life happens, and we all know that visiting goals every January is never enough.

Written by: Camille Charbonneau, B.Ed., M.H.K.

Short bio: Camille Charbonneau is both a Mental Performance Coach and Personal Trainer. She obtained her Master degree in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa where she studied Intervention and Consultation in sport, physical activity and health. She completed her undergraduate degree at McGill University in Physical and Health Education and was taught by some of the leading consultants in the world of sport and performance psychology.