S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Goals are dreams with deadlines. ~Dianna Scharf Hunt

We talked about setting SMART goals at our first meeting. An example of a goal that is NOT "SMART" would be: "My New Year's resolution is to lose weight and get in shape." That is not a bad goal, but it's not specfic and clear enough to take us to our desired end result.

In the Old Testament, there are numerous examples of God giving direct and specific instructions (think of Adam & Eve, Noah, Moses, Joshua....etc). In Genesis chapters 6 & 7, God gives Noah a precise plan for building the ark and gathering the animals. Nehemiah had a well thought out plan for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and obtaining the resources to execute his plan.

We need to have a clear vision of our goal and result, and a purposeful plan of how to get there.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals:

Specfic: What exactly do you want to accomplish? Be clear, concise, and straight forward.
Measurable: How will you know when you have met your goal? The measure can be quantitative or qualitative, but you must decide ahead of time how you will measure progress.
Attainable: Is my goal should be attainable (realistic) but challenging?
Relevant: Does my goal relate to my dreams, interests and lifestyle?
Time-bound: When do I hope to accomplish my goal? No deadline inevitably leads to procrastination...

Read more about setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals here: http://www.acefitness.org/fitfacts/pdfs/fitfacts/itemid_2637.pdf

Another element of goal setting is breaking down bigger goals (I want to lose 100 pounds, I want to run a marathon) into short-term goals and manageable chunks...more about that coming soon!