There are the SMARTEST Goals. And THEN …
… and only THEN
… there are SMART-ASS Goals.
I thought that now might be a good time to revisit goal setting! After all, it is a New Year, and while I don’t necessarily believe in resolutions, since we rarely stick to them, I do believe that the New Year presents an opportunity to reflect, to be contemplative and to set “Smartest Goals!”
When I first started my journey on the rocky road to Sveltesville with Our Lady of Weight Loss at my side, I did not know how many pounds I wanted to permanently remove. Nope, no number in mind.
I figured I’d take it one day at a time, one pound at a time! And that ranks up there as being one of the SMARTEST things I’ve ever done. If I had thought “I must lose 50 pounds,” I probably would have felt completely overwhelmed and consoled myself with a trip to the bakery!
Here follows my guidelines for SMARTEST goals. The perfect yardstick, so to speak, to know if you need to tweak your goal or not. Remember, we are picking small goals … taking it one day at a time … one pound at a time.
S – Goals must be SPECIFIC and the more specific the better. State your goal in as exact of terms as possible.
M – Your goal should be MEASURABLE. Think about what will be the measurement of your goal. (It’s not always about pounds lost. Could be to stay away from candy bars today!)
A – Goals should have ACCOUNTABILITY. Who or what are you accountable to for your goal? Our Lady of Weight Loss, of course!
R – Goals must be REALISTIC. Unrealistic goals will lead you off the path of health and happiness and straight into destruction valley! Yikes.
T – Targets should be TIME based. What’s your time-table for completion, and stick to it. FYI, when it comes to Permanent Fat Removal, I generally advise that one’s goal be: I will eat healthfully and stay on plan for (period of time). This way, I’m not driven mad by the scale, knowing that if I am eating healthfully and on plan, the pounds will have to move out.
E – Goals should be EXCITING! Woo hoo EXCITING and you will meet them faster. So now add on a reward or an event or something that links your goal to excitement. Or just imagine what’s at the other side of the rainbow. Wow, that IS exciting.
S – If you STRETCH yourself ever-so-slightly, outside your comfort range, your brain will manufacture dopamine – a happy drug.
T–Does your goal speak to your TRUTH? Is it in alignment with your bigger picture?
Oh, now for SMART-ASS goals!
I was telling my husband about my SMARTEST Goals.
And he said, “How about Smart-ass goals. If you are the SMARTEST, then you can be a SMART-ASS.”
I said, “Be serious.” To which he responded, “I am serious.”
“Then what does the A-S-S stand for?”
“AUTHENTIC * SASSY * SATISFIED (and Satisfying!)”
So – if you want to be a SMART-ASS, be the SMARTEST!
Spread the word … NOT the icing!
Janice
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Janice Taylor is a Life & Wellness Coach, author, seminar leader and 50-pound-BIG-Time-LOSER! Write Janice for an Introductory Coaching Session.
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