I have set a lot of goals in my life, some that I have achieved, and some that have fallen short. I am no expert in goal setting, but after years of trial and error, I know what works for me and what doesn’t, so I am going to share it with you! When I set a goal, I use the following steps:
Follow the SMART goals guide
S.M.A.R.T stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Based. If you make sure your goal checks all these blocks, you are moving in the right direction. Here’s a quick description of each word:
- Specific: Cover the who, what, where, and when. When your goal is clearly defined, there are no questions left unanswered.
- Measurable: This makes it very easy to evaluate whether or not you reached your goal. Will it be clear to you if you achieved your goal or not?
- Achievable: Your goal needs to be realistic for the time, resources and ability you have. Is your goal attainable?
- Relevant: Does your goal contribute to a long term objective?
- Time-Based: Specify a timeline of milestones and when you want your goal completed by.
Here is an example of the goal I set for myself in January and how it checked all the blocks as a SMART goal. My goal: I will complete all 38 of the live at home workouts in Virtual S.L.A.M. by the end of the 10 week Virtual S.L.A.M. session on March 17th.
- Specific: Who- me, What- live workouts, Where- at home, when- by March 17th.
- Measurable: 38 workouts by March 17th.
- Achievable: My goal is very attainable because my kids are all school aged, I get lots of sleep at night, I work from home and I can carve out the time around my work, my in person Cam/San classes and my soccer coaching responsibilities.
- Relevant: My goal contributes to my long term objective of holding myself accountable in working out consistently and regularly with Virtual S.L.A.M.
- Time-Based: I printed out our ‘All The Lives’ checklist where I check off every workout I complete towards the full 38 workouts. I know I have until March 17th to get everything checked off.
Consider this first!
The part of the SMART goals that I have observed myself and other S.L.A.M. mamas falling short is the ‘Achievable’ category. Be sure to evaluate the season of life/motherhood you are in and start smaller. Identify the roadblocks that may get in the way of reaching your goal. Sometimes our goals are very lofty, but then insert all.the.things that get your in way like:
- Lack of sleep because babies are up at night
- Babies and toddlers needing our attention most of the day
- Spouses/partners being unavailable to help
- etc. etc. etc.
If this is you, I encourage you to start smaller with your goals, take it from a mama who has been there. Using the example above, some Virtual S.L.A.M. mamas made it their goal to complete HALF of the live workouts during the session. I give you permission to start small, mamas! If you succeed at smaller, then go bigger!
Make an action plan and display it
It’s important that you specifying your timeline for steps towards achieving your goal, and make a checklist so that you can physically check them off when you complete the steps. Complete your action plan by following these steps:
- Decide what smaller (easier to chew) steps need to happen in order to reach your goal
- Write down your full goal on paper. Include the smaller steps in a way that you can check them off when they are completed
- Place your timeline of milestones checklist somewhere you (and your family) see it every day
- Check off those boxes with pride as you complete each step!
In the example of my goal mentioned above, my smaller steps are defined as the 38 boxes for me to check every time I complete a workout. I wrote down my goal and printed my checklist and placed it on my fridge. I am reminded every day of my goal, and get excited about checking off the workouts as I complete them. And bonus: my family cheers me on!
Share your goal, social accountability works
Share your goal with others! At S.L.A.M. you have more S.L.A.M. sisters than you could ever need who are invested in you and ready to make sure you achieve it! I’m not going to throw statistics at you, but there are countless studies that have shown that goals written down and shared with others makes you exponentially more likely to achieve them. Accountabilibuddies (yes we made up that word) are a very important piece of your success:
- Find accountabilibuddies who are also interested in setting and reaching a goal
- Figure out how you want to communicate with each other and create the group text, marco polo, messenger app, etc.
- Share your goal with each other first. Show your friends your action steps checklist and the progress you make on it so they can cheer you on!
- Continue to communicate regularly and check in with each other. Share roadblocks and challenges as well as successes. Lean on each other for support and understanding.
That’s all I got for you! These three steps have helped me reach my goals, and I hope they help you too! Are you wondering why it’s early March and I am talking about a topic that is usually trending in January?! Because I’m here to give you permission to set a goal anytime you feel motivated and ready to do so! Not ready to set a goal? That’s ok too, save this for when you are ready.
If you are interested in contributing a blog post, message us! Our blog is back!
Recent Comments