SMART Goals

SMART Goals

You may have heard of "SMART" goals before. SMART is an acronym for aspects goal should have.  Here is what it means:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

So, let's use losing weight as an example.

Specific: Don't say "I want to lose weight", but say "I want to weigh ___ pounds".

Measurable: The example above also is a measurable goal because you'll know when you have reached your goal.

Attainable: You're not realistically going to lose 10 pounds in 3 days, so choose something you know is attainable (a good weight loss goal would be 1/2 pound to a pound a week, 2 pounds if you have over 100 pounds to lose).

Timely: You can say you're going to lose 20 pounds, but you should have a target date so it keeps you going, otherwise it might take you 5 years.