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Use the SMART FIT Goals System for quick results.
Use our SMART-FIT Goals System and you'll dramatically increase your chances of reaching your fitness goals - whether it's to lose weight, build lean muscle mass, improve your athletic performance, make your sports team, etc.
The S.M.A.R.T. - F.I.T. Goals System
Let’s break down the S.M.A.R.T. – F.I.T. Goals system by looking at each step on the process and how it will help you reach
your fitness goals.
S.M.A.R.T. - F.I.T. Goals System
S- Set a goal that is realistic and achievable. Write it down! This is critical. Studies show that you’re 80% more likely to achieve your goals if they’re written down as opposed to just thought out.
If you are not willing to write it down, your chances of accomplishing the goal goes way down. There is
magic in writing down our goals. It doesn’t matter how good your memory is. Put the goal on paper.
If you are having trouble determining if your fitness goals are realistic, consult with an expert in that area. For example, if you are trying to lose weight, consult with your doctor, nutritionist, or weight loss center to help you learn what is a good realistic goal for you.
Homework assignment:
You must write down the goal. Create a goal statement. Try writing it down on an index card. Carry the card with you in your wallet or purse. Review it morning, noon, and night.
Some examples of goal statements:
--I weigh 175 pounds (for a male).
--I weigh 125 pounds (for a female).
--I have a 34 inch waist.
--I can fit into my new swimsuit.
--I have gained 10 pounds of lean muscle.
--I have run the 10k in XXX time (give a precise, realistic time).
--I can bench press 315 pounds.
--I have made the roster of the Southside High School soccer team.
--I have competed in the Senior Olympic Games for the X event (fill in a detailed event).
--I have completed the Los Angeles Marathon in X time.
+++++++++++++++++++
You can even break down your goal statements into smaller short-term goal statements. Try a stack of 10 index goal cards that help lead you to your bigger goal:
Some examples of supporting goal card statements:
--I get out of bet at 6 am each weekday to jog.
--I eat healthy snacks in the evenings.
--I practice my soccer drills at least 3x per week.
Avoid negative goal statements, such as:
--I no longer eat a pint of ice cream on the weekend.
--I do not oversleep when I should be jogging.
--I have stopped watching too much television.
Instead, frame your goal statement in the positive – think about what you want, and what you are moving toward, not what you don’t want or what you are moving away from. The mind cannot operate with negative instructions.
S.M.A.R.T. - F.I.T. Goals System
M – Once you have your clearly defined written goal, make your goal manageable and measurable.
Manageable means doable. We all want to lose 20 pounds in one day. Give yourself a timeframe that you can accomplish. Do not try to do too much too fast. That will only de-motivate you. Do not try to lose 50 pounds in 3 weeks.
Measurable means you have a deadline for the fitness goal, and you can then break it down into subgoals. For example:
Goal: I weigh 175 pounds (for a male).
Target Date: July 1, 2009
Then work backwards to set up good interim goals or subgoals for your main goal. Think of subgoals as sign posts or mile markers along the road to your final destination.
How much weight would you need to lose on average per month to reach this goal? Once you’ve
established that, set a goal for what you will weigh June 1st, May 1st, etc. (working back in time to the current date).
What do you do if you don’t reach your target by a particular date? Set a new goal. Figure
out what went wrong. Was your original target date unrealistic? Did you lose motivation and give up too soon? Did you lack the proper knowledge of how to accomplish that goal?
In other words, go back to the drawing board and develop a new game plan. Not all goals are accomplished on the first attempt. Some plans need some fine tuning. Learn what didn’t work and launch a new goal.
Planning:
Develop a written plan to accomplish your goal. Write out what you think you will need to
do to achieve it. Make a list. It would be a good idea to keep a small journal. Click here
to read more about keeping a fitness journal.
For example, if your goal is to lose 20 pounds, your plan may include action steps such as these:
1. Stop eating sugary snacks at night.
2. Exercise for 45 minutes per day.
3. Cut back to fast food once per week.
4. Substitute water for soda 6 day per week.
Homework Assignment:
Set up deadlines and target dates for your fitness goal. A goal without a target date is more of a fantasy. Develop a written plan to reach that goal.
S.M.A.R.T. - F.I.T. Goals System
A – Ask yourself how badly you want it. Be honest with yourself. If it is not all that
important to you, odds are you won’t make it a reality.
Ask yourself if this is the right goal for you. Does your physician approve of your fitness goal plan? Does the goal excite you?
Is your goal incompatible with your other goals in life right now? For example, if your goal is to
run the Los Angeles Marathon next year, but you have several family and career obligations, perhaps
the goal to run the marathon is incompatible with more important personal goals. Upon reflecting on it, you may
later decide that training for an easier run (such as a 10k) is a better goal for you right now.
Homework assignment:
Spend some time alone and think carefully about your new goal. Reflect on what it will take to accomplish it and whether it is right for you. If your goal involves others, such as family members, you may consider discussing it with them (see below on making sure you only discuss your goal with supportive people).
Once you are clear on your goal and you are sure the goal is right for you, you’re on your way.
S.M.A.R.T. - F.I.T. Goals System
R – Focus on Results - Know exactly what your accomplished goal will look like. That way, you'll have a measuring stick to gauge your progress.
Always keep the end game - the results you are seeking - in mind.
Imagine you live in Chicago. For the summer vacation, you promised your family you would take them to Disneyland in Southern California. In fact, you’re going to drive from Chicago to Disneyland and let your kids see the great American West.
What would you do to help you reach your destination and enjoy your vacation at Disneyland? You would get road maps and plan the drive and you would get Disneyland brochures (not to mention hotel deals, etc.).
You and your kids would be looking at the Disneyland brochures, dreaming about how much fun it
will be. You would be reviewing the maps before you leave. You would SEE yourself at Disneyland. Your kids
would be visualizing themselves meeting Mickey Mouse, riding the fun rides, and doing everything else
they’re looking forward to doing (while you’re visualizing the expenses). They would not have to tell
themselves to dream about all this. It comes naturally to them.
In a similar way, you want to have a clear picture of your fitness destination. For example, If you want to reach your ideal body weight of 175 pounds (for a male), firmly plant that target number in your mind. That's
the result you will be working toward.
Homework assignment:
Get the pictures in your mind’s eye of what it will look like when you reach your goal. Like the kids that look over the Disneyland brochure, have pictures of your goal that excite you and will keep you motivated. Post the pictures on your fridge, bathroom mirror, or keep a goals journal.
Some ideas:
--If you want to lose 50 pounds, cut out pictures of the body you would like (be realistic here).
--If you want to run the New York Marathon, cut out pictures of pictures of the marathon from past Sports Illustrated issues.
--If you want to fit into a new swimsuit, buy the swimsuit you would want if you were that size right now. Then, look at that swimsuit often. See yourself wearing it at the beach or the pool.
S.M.A.R.T. - F.I.T. Goals System
T – Train your amazing mind to help you reach your goal. Most of life is a mental game.
See our Mind Fitness section to help you with this important part of the process. We
have the tools to help get you where you want to go. Get their first in your mind, and you’ll soon see the results in your body!
We’ve already touched on some of this. The assignment of getting photos of the goal you want to reach is part of this process. But, you have to make sure that you go beyond that and regularly (daily) visualize yourself reaching your goal.
This should not be tedious! Make it fun. You’re drawing on the right side of the brain, which is
the creative, playful side. When we were kids, imagining came naturally to us. As we got older, the left side of
the brain, which is the logical, judgmental side of the brain, got more developed.
We need to set aside some time to relax and imagine ourselves reaching our goal in detail.
Homework assignment:
1. Daily visualize yourself reaching your fitness goal. Ideally, as you are falling asleep at night. You have to see it in your mind as already accomplished before it will become a reality. Get playful here. Remember when you were a kid and played, “Let’s Pretend.” You could be anything you wanted to in your imagination, and you never told yourself the idea was ridiculous.
When visualizing your fitness goals, don’t listen to left brain dialogue that is telling you that you won’t reach your goal. That is the critical, judgmental part of the brain. Your homework assignment is to just pretend. Play, “Imagine If…” -- IMAGINE IF you did reach your goal. What would it look like? What would it FEEL like?
Imagine people complimenting you. Imagine having to buy new clothes. Get the feeling of pride and how good it will feel now that the goal is accomplished.
Bring in as many of your senses as you can while visualizing. Imagine the sights, sounds, smells, etc.
Some examples:
--FEEL yourself in your new swimsuit. Or FEEL the barbell as you successfully lift 315 pounds on the bench press.
--SEE your new body in the mirror. Or SEE the finish line at the New York Marathon – you made it!
--HEAR people complimenting you. Or HEAR people cheering you as you score the buzzer beating basket at your important conference hoops game.
--If you are trying to make the high school baseball team, SMELL the green, freshly cut grass on the diamond – or the baseball glove you will be wearing on game days. You can do all of this in your imagination.
If you don’t think you can do this, try this experiment: Imagine yourself biting into a cut lemon. Odds are, your mouth will water, and you’ll squint your eyes and flinch. It works – when you regularly visualize, you are programming your amazing brain. That’s the power of imagination. Remember, our minds lead, and our body follows!
SMART-FIT Goals System
S.M.A.R.T. - F.I.T. Goals System
F – Find supportive people and sources that can help you reach your goal (such as this website). ONLY share your goal with people who will support you and believe in you. This is critical! Do not share your goal with negative, sarcastic people who will not support you and who do not believe in you. They will plant a seed a doubt in your mind, and may even try to sabotage you. There are many reasons for this. But it is human nature to feel jealousy when we see other people accomplishing their goals. So be very discriminating with those you share your goals with.
S.M.A.R.T. - F.I.T. Goals System
I – Industriousness. A fancy word for hard work. It will take a lot of hard work and some sacrifice to reach your fitness goal. Eating Twinkies is easy. Losing 20 pounds is a little tougher. Until they invent the Twinkie that helps you lose 20 pounds, you’ll have to do some work to reach your goal.
So, be ready to work hard. Be ready to execute your fitness plan of action. Setting goals and
visualizing is all fine and necessary. But when you get out of bed and go for that jog, or stop eating your
favorite pig out food each night, or drive to that fitness club...that is where the rubber meets the road. That
is where you actually start to take the necessary action steps that get you the results you're seeking and make your dream a reality.
Anything worthwhile in life takes effort. But remember, when you reach your goal, all the
blood, sweat, and tears will quickly be forgotten. All you will feel then is the pride and joy of having climbed the summit.
Homework assignment:
Make a list of things you can do to help you stay motivated on a regular basis on the
road to reaching your goal. Click here for tips
on getting and staying motivated. Anticipate the days
when you just want to quit. If you have a plan in advance of how you will handle times
like that, your odds of staying with your program go way up.
Quitting is easy, but the price of quitting is immense. You miss out on the pride, the joy, the satisfaction, and
the confidence of reaching your goal!
S.M.A.R.T. - F.I.T. Goals System
T – Thanks – Give thanks to a Higher Power and your supporters for helping make your goal a
reality when you accomplish your fitness goal. For more on giving thanks, see the Daily 5 Exercise.
Our S.M.A.R.T. - F.I.T. Goals System will dramatically shorten the time it takes for you to reach your fitness goals. You will
be working toward your goal in a much more efficient manner, and you will greatly improve your chances of seeing your goal come to pass.
Good luck!
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