SMART Goals

So it's coming up on a month since New Year's. How are you doing on your resolutions? One of my resolutions is to review my goals every month. I took a look today at my list. So far I'm doing fairly well. Not as good as I would hope, but not as bad as it could be.

I was reading a running magazine today and I came across something interesting talking  about smart New Year's goals. That's smart as in S-M-A-R-T. Here's what it said. Keep in mind that it came from a running magazine, but I think it can and should definitely be applied to all types of goals.

SMART is an acronym describing a goal-setting method developed by sport psychology  researchers to help athletes. The letters in the acronym stand for characteristics of effective goals:

S= Specific. Goals need to be specific. Simply setting a goal to increase running pace isn't specific enough. Rather, a goal to run 10 seconds faster per mile puts focus on a specific performance characteristic and guides training.

M= Measurable. Every goal needs to have some measurable characteristic. In the endurance sports world, the task is a little easier because everything comes down to distance, speed and time. When setting training sessions, clear measurable goals are best. An example would be setting a goal to average 20 mph on the bike over the course of a training session.

A= Adjustable. A lot of people are surprised by this characteristic, but goals should be adjustable. Injuries or other personal issues happen and can derail goals that are set in stone. The ability to adjust a goal ensures progress. It can also help maintain motivation.

R= Realistic. It is great to set lofty goals and to challenge oneself, but unrealistic goals are rarely achieved, which leads to discouragement. Realistic goals encourage continued achievement.

T= Time Sensitive. Goals should not have an indefinite deadline. For example, the goal of consistently running 50 miles a week after six months of training provides a deadline that requires some time and effort from the goal-setter to make a reality.

AMM had actually mentioned these first two to me around New Year's time, but I have to admit that adjustable did come as a surprise to me. I think too often we just give up as failures rather than try to figure out how we can adjust or adapt a goal.