Goal Setting 101

Today’s contribution is from Good Measure Meals’ registered dietitian, Joy Goetz MS, RDN, LD, CHES  It’s FitTrip time! For the next few months, you will be working hard on health and fitness, and now is the perfect time to decide what you want to achieve during this time. 
What do you want to achieve during FitTrip? Maybe you want to lose body fat, train for a race, or lower your cholesterol. WRITE IT DOWN. Make a list, then prioritize it. Which of these do you want the most? It’s best to narrow it down to no more than 3 items. Change is hard, and you want to set yourself up for success.

1. Assign a due date and a “why” for each goal. Maybe you want to lose 10 pounds before a high school reunion in October. WRITE IT DOWN. If you’re not sure how long something will take, guess. It’s okay to tweak your timeline later. Right now, you want to get something on paper and get it scheduled. Having a strong “why” is imperative because that’s what is going and motivates you to continue on during the tough times.
2. For each goal, WRITE DOWN all of the action steps you need to do to make it happen, and assign due dates to them. For the example above, “losing 10 pounds by October 1st” action items might be exercising 4 days a week, eating healthier, and finding a workout buddy. This is where “SMART goals” come in. Make sure each of your action items is: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Sensitive.
3. Schedule these tasks in your calendar. It might be a recurring appointment (weekly exercise classes at the gym during lunch)or simply setting aside time to get something done (finding a workout buddy.)  Either way, if you’re anything like me, you’re pretty busy, and if you don’t schedule it, it probably won’t happen.
4. Work your plan and adjust as needed. This is the hardest part! It takes discipline and motivation to give up what we want NOW, for what we want MOST. Sometimes life throws a curve ball, and we need to adjust our goals along the way. That’s fine. Just get back on track and keep going.

 Whatever your goals are for the FitTrip, I hope this is helpful. Consult with your Good Measure Meals registered dietitian to help you set and achieve your health goals, no matter big or how small. Good luck!