You have the potential to accomplish almost anything you put your mind to. However, if you don\u2019t have the right goal setting strategy in place, you\u2019re instantly increasing your chances of failure.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s explore how to set SMART health goals you can realistically achieve.<\/p>\n
Why Set SMART Health Goals?<\/strong><\/h2>\nSo, why do we set goals in the first place?<\/p>\n
Giving yourself a target to aim for helps you to track your progress and stay focused as you pursue an important endgame. If you decided you want to lose weight, you\u2019d need to keep track of a few things. You\u2019d measure your diet, exercise routine, and how much weight you lost to see which strategies were really working. Goals<\/a> show you what you need to measure to ensure you\u2019re on the right path.<\/p>\nOur CircleDNA health coach team says that tracking progress is crucial to success. Even if you discover you\u2019re moving backwards, you benefit from knowing what you need to avoid in future.<\/p>\n![\"circlemagazine-CircleDNA-smart-health-goals\"](\"https:\/\/circledna.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/CircleDNA-premium-Apac-health-coach-Consultation-1.jpg\")
Circle\u2019s Health Coaches provide 1-to-1 health consultations on phone<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nA good goal is like a compass, guiding you towards your healthy ambitions. Unfortunately, most of us set our goals incorrectly. Psychologists say<\/a> that we don\u2019t accomplish our targets not because we\u2019re incapable, but because we\u2019re not planning correctly.<\/p>\nMost goals are:<\/h2>\n\n- Too multi-faceted: Multitasking doesn\u2019t work<\/a>. We know that we need focus to achieve our goals, yet many of us end up setting a bunch of different targets at once. We say we want to lose 10kg of fat, earn 5kg of muscle, break our personal best in the swimming pool and so on. While those goals might be connected, they\u2019re all individual targets. Focusing on one thing at a time means you\u2019re less likely to be overwhelmed by your goals.<\/li>\n
- Vague: The only thing worse than giving yourself too many disjointed goals in one, is being vague with what you hope to accomplish. Your goals need to be specific. Don\u2019t just say you want to lose weight. How much weight do you want to lose? When are you going to lose it? Do you need to focus on specific problem areas? How are you going to reach your target?<\/li>\n
- Fleeting: If you\u2019re just setting a goal as part of a New Year\u2019s resolution, you\u2019re not going to stick to it. Don\u2019t just promise yourself things if you\u2019re not committed to reaching your goals. You need to decide from day one: how dedicated are you?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Key to Better Goal Setting: Think SMART<\/h2>\n
Setting healthy goals and achieving them can be tough.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, there are ways to overcome various obstacles. The best goal-setting method is the \u201cSMART\u201d<\/a> strategy. If you haven\u2019t heard of this before, it involves making your SMART health goals more:<\/p>\n![\"circlemagazine-CircleDNA-smart-health-goals\"](\"https:\/\/circledna.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/CircleDNA_Goal_setting_tips.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n- Specific: <\/strong>Stop setting vague targets. Decide what you want to do, how you\u2019re going to do it, and when. Are you going to run 5km by the end of the month? Are you keen to lose 5 pounds in the next 2 months? Be specific.<\/li>\n
- Measurable:<\/strong> If your goal is specific, it should also be measurable. Think about how you\u2019re going to determine whether you\u2019re moving in the right direction or not. For instance, if you want to lose 3 inches from your waist, how often will you measure this?<\/li>\n
- Achievable:<\/strong> It\u2019s fine to have high ambitions but be kind to yourself. Setting a goal to work out for 3 hours a day when you already work 12-hour shifts isn\u2019t feasible. Take the time to understand your body and what it\u2019s capable of. Push yourself, but not too unreasonable standards. We all have our limits.<\/li>\n
- Realistic:<\/strong> Realism goes hand-in-hand with goals being achievable. Once you\u2019ve chosen your goal, make sure you give yourself enough time, support, and help to achieve it. You might be able to run a marathon physically, but you\u2019re going to need training before you get there.<\/li>\n
- Timely:<\/strong> Decide when you want to reach your goal. There needs to be an end date, otherwise, you won\u2019t be motivating yourself to keep moving onwards and upwards. Give yourself a reasonable deadline.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Deciding on Your Achievable Goals<\/h2>\n
Setting S.M.A.R.T health goals will set you up for success. If you\u2019re not sure what you can reasonably accomplish, it might be worth checking out your genetic profile and speaking to your doctor before you begin planning. Understanding how your body deals with fat will make it easier to lose weight long-term<\/a>, for instance. While some people thrive on the keto diet<\/a>, others struggle.<\/p>\nYour genetic profile can also help you to decide which of your goals are most important. For instance, if you know you\u2019re predisposed to heart conditions, working on cardio is a good idea. You can speak to your doctor about how you can begin improving your endurance, boosting your circulation and reducing cholesterol levels.<\/p>\n
Ensure that you\u2019re physically, mentally, and medically equipped to handle the targets you set for yourself. It\u2019s also worth looking into any conditions that you may need to consider when you\u2019re working towards your ambitions. For instance, if you want to lose weight but you have bad joints, you might find low-impact exercises like swimming more appealing.<\/p>\n
Tips for Achieving Your Goals<\/h2>\n![](\"https:\/\/circledna.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/content_images_assets.prenetics.com_blog.circledna.com_wp-content_uploads_2021_05_20155634_circlemagazine-healthy-goals.png\")
<\/figure>\nOnce you\u2019ve chosen your S.M.A.R.T health goals and you\u2019re feeling confident in your ability to achieve it, it\u2019s time to start working towards that target.<\/p>\n
Here are some quick tips to help make your healthy goals more attainable:<\/p>\n
Set milestones:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Even if your goal doesn\u2019t seem particularly large at first, milestones are an excellent way to keep yourself motivated. When you\u2019re struggling to achieve the right results, it\u2019s easy for your ambitions to start looking too complex or overwhelming. Breaking big goals down into something smaller makes them much more achievable. For instance, you might want to lose 5kg<\/a> eventually, but first, focus on losing that first 1kg.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Be kind to yourself:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Achieving genuinely valuable and healthy goals is a big deal. Most of the times, the goals you set will involve changing ingrained habits, like eating the wrong foods<\/a> or relaxing on the sofa instead of going to the gym. It\u2019s difficult to make these changes \u2013 particularly at first. Don\u2019t be hard on yourself if you don\u2019t accomplish a milestone on time or you struggle with something. Learn from each hurdle you encounter and incorporate what you discover into your goals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Be honest about your abilities:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Telling yourself you can accomplish more than you realistically can doesn\u2019t just push you to try harder. Being unrealistic with your goals sets you up for failure and disappointment. If you want to start walking 15000 steps a day<\/a>, that\u2019s great, but if you\u2019ve only walked 1,000 up to now, don\u2019t expect the change to happen overnight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Track your progress:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Monitoring your progress is a must for healthy goal setting. You\u2019ll need a way to measure whether you\u2019re heading in the right direction. Are you losing weight? Great, but if you\u2019re not losing it as quickly as you like, maybe it\u2019s time to reconsider your diet, or talk to your personal trainer. Proper tracking should ensure that you keep improving your outcomes and move faster towards your end goals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Reward yourself:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Our CircleDNA health coach team says that tracking progress is crucial to success. Even if you discover you\u2019re moving backwards, you benefit from knowing what you need to avoid in future.<\/p>\n A good goal is like a compass, guiding you towards your healthy ambitions. Unfortunately, most of us set our goals incorrectly. Psychologists say<\/a> that we don\u2019t accomplish our targets not because we\u2019re incapable, but because we\u2019re not planning correctly.<\/p>\n Setting healthy goals and achieving them can be tough.<\/p>\n Fortunately, there are ways to overcome various obstacles. The best goal-setting method is the \u201cSMART\u201d<\/a> strategy. If you haven\u2019t heard of this before, it involves making your SMART health goals more:<\/p>\n Setting S.M.A.R.T health goals will set you up for success. If you\u2019re not sure what you can reasonably accomplish, it might be worth checking out your genetic profile and speaking to your doctor before you begin planning. Understanding how your body deals with fat will make it easier to lose weight long-term<\/a>, for instance. While some people thrive on the keto diet<\/a>, others struggle.<\/p>\n Your genetic profile can also help you to decide which of your goals are most important. For instance, if you know you\u2019re predisposed to heart conditions, working on cardio is a good idea. You can speak to your doctor about how you can begin improving your endurance, boosting your circulation and reducing cholesterol levels.<\/p>\n Ensure that you\u2019re physically, mentally, and medically equipped to handle the targets you set for yourself. It\u2019s also worth looking into any conditions that you may need to consider when you\u2019re working towards your ambitions. For instance, if you want to lose weight but you have bad joints, you might find low-impact exercises like swimming more appealing.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve chosen your S.M.A.R.T health goals and you\u2019re feeling confident in your ability to achieve it, it\u2019s time to start working towards that target.<\/p>\n Here are some quick tips to help make your healthy goals more attainable:<\/p>\nMost goals are:<\/h2>\n
\n
The Key to Better Goal Setting: Think SMART<\/h2>\n
<\/figure>\n\n
Deciding on Your Achievable Goals<\/h2>\n
Tips for Achieving Your Goals<\/h2>\n
<\/figure>\nSet milestones:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Be kind to yourself:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Be honest about your abilities:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Track your progress:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Reward yourself:<\/strong><\/h2>\n