When you are trying to stay in shape, goal setting can be a very powerful means of keeping on track. It allows you to visualize what physical and mental improvements you hope to achieve by exercising, and enables you to determine the best means of doing so.
Setting goals can be an exhilarating process because it assists you in deciding what direction you wish life to move next. By setting the right goals, you might find that you develop your body and mind in like never before.
For a goal to be powerful, it needs to perform three key functions:
1. It must motivate you;
2. It must be something realistic that you can believe in; and
3. It must be something that you are able to take actual steps to accomplish.
When your goals motivate you and you actually consider them something that you can achieve, you will find yourself driven to undertake the actions necessary to bring them to fruition.
In addition to its immediate benefits, the goal setting process can also help you in the long term. The goals you set should take into consideration what you want to accomplish once your initial goals have been met. Your long term goals should be complimentary to those you have set yourself in the short term – for instance, you might aim to improve your aerobic fitness steadily each month so that you can compete in an end-of-year marathon. This will keep your enthusiasm levels up as you develop healthy lifestyle habits, preventing training fatigue.
Goal setting is made up of four key parts:
1. Evaluation – Before you can move forward and realize your goals, you have to work out where you are now in relation to them.
2. Goals – It is important for you to decide what your actual goals are. This should not be based on what you feel you will be able to achieve or on what society tells you that you should want. These are your own personal catalysts for action; they are what you imagine yourself having when you dream about the future.
3. S.M.A.R.T. Goals - S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive.
• Specific: You should be able to easily express your goal in one or two sentences. If you can’t, it probably isn’t specific enough.
• Measurable: Your goal should have an aspect that is able to be measured (e.g. the waistband on a pair of pants), otherwise you will be unable to ascertain how successful your efforts have been.
• Attainable: Your goal must be something that you genuinely believe you will be capable of achieving given your current circumstances.
• Realistic: If your goal is not something that you can undertake practically, then it is not realistic.
• Time: Every goal you have should have an allotted timeframe. This way you can ensure that you have not given yourself too little (or too much) time to accomplish it.
4. Accountability - When you have well-defined goals, it is easy to be honest with yourself when trying to measure your success in reaching them.
ER CONSULTING
- ER CONSULTING
- Paddington, Queensland, Australia
- Elizabeth has completed a Bachelor of Commerce in Human Resource Management and E-Commerce (Distinctions). She also holds diplomas in International Business, Life Coaching (Executive & Business), Exercise Science and Fitness. She brings a wealth of experience from a broad business background together with an in-depth understanding of all aspects of HR advisory services including performance management, employment law, recruitment, remuneration, organisational change, corporate health initiatives, leadership and executive development. Her professional affiliations and accreditations include Australian Human Resources Institute, Australian International Internal Affairs, Fitness Australia and International Coach Federation. Elizabeth maintains a private practice serving clients in performance coaching and consulting services to achieve their executive, business and lifestyle objectives.