How to Set and Conquer Your Health Goals

Do you want to lose weight, eat healthier and/or just live a healthier life? Many people want to get healthy but have no idea where to start. It’s less overwhelming to break a large goal down into smaller steps. Baby steps are the way to go when you have no idea how or where to start. Let’s set and conquer your health goals- the right way!

SMART Goals

Goal setting makes it so much easier to break a large task down into smaller pieces. You can make the steps as simple as you want in order to make them achievable.

SMART goals have 5 separate sections. The parts involved are what you’ll need to set and conquer your health goals. This goal setting system, if used correctly, has the power to dissect even the most complex of goals and make them possible.

In order to be a SMART goal, it needs to be:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Where Did The Acronym “SMART” Come From?

In November 1981, a consultant and corporate planning director named George Doran published a very important paper. The name of the paper was “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives”.

Ok, is it just me, or does that sound kind of boring? I admit I haven’t read the paper, but the idea that came out of that paper is extremely useful and has obviously stuck around for 37+ years.

Ok, now that you know a brief history, let’s dive into the details.

Specific

In order to make and set a goal, it has to be specific. And by specific, I mean details, details, details! I’ll also add that for a goal to be reachable, you have to be willing to do the work in order to reach your goal.

For example, the goal of “I want to lose weight” is not very specific. Having a specific goal is going to motivate you more than just a generalization.

The key to this section of making a goal specific is to ask yourself:

• Who?
• Why?
• When?
• Where?
• Which?

Who?

Who (if anyone) can you ask to help you get from where you are now to where you want to be?

Why?

Why is this goal important? The “Why” is pretty much the most important part of setting and reaching a personal goal. You have to have a really good reason that will keep you going when the going gets tough.

When?

When do you want to complete your goal? Is it a short-term or long-term goal? You should have a rough estimate of the timeline.

Where?

Where does this goal take place? Do you need to go to a certain place to work on it?

Which?

Which resources do you need? Are there any obstacles that might stand in your way?

Measurable

Tracking a goal’s progress needs to be measurable. In the weight loss example, you would need to figure out how much weight you want to lose, and decide on how long you want to give yourself to reach the end result.

Your goal should be able to answer:

• How much?
• How many?
• How will you know when you’ve reached your goal?

Attainable

Don’t set yourself up for disappointment. Make sure your goal is something that you can do. Don’t get caught up in grandiose ideas. If you want to lose weight, don’t set a goal of losing 50 pounds in a month. That is not only horribly unhealthy but also extremely difficult, if not impossible.

Relevant

Make sure your goal matters to you. Ask yourself if it’s worth the time and energy you’ll have to spend on it.

Is this the right time to start working on this particular goal?

Time-bound

There has to be an endpoint to your goal. Even if you give yourself years to accomplish a goal, that’s fine as long as you know when you want to have the desired result.

Time-bound can also refer to checkpoints along the way. With the weight loss example, you could set a goal of losing 50 lbs. in a year, but you could also make smaller goals along the way to make sure you’re on track to meeting your ultimate goal.

Examples of how checkpoints can be measured:

• Minutes
• Days
• Weeks
• Inches
• Pounds
• Repetitions
• Numbers in a medical setting (such as lab results, blood pressure, etc.)

Motivation To Set Your Health Goals

Think of the reason as to why you’re setting your goal. Write that reason down and place it somewhere that you will be able to see it every day.

If you feel overwhelmed about how you’ll ever be able to get to your SMART goal, try to focus on smaller goals that will eventually get you to your end goal.

Remember that you can always revise any part of your goal if you need to, at any time. Just because you make a specific, in-depth goal, doesn’t mean it has to be set in stone.

An Example of a SMART Health Goal

Now that you know all about how to make SMART goals, I’ll show you how a SMART health goal can be broken down.

I’ll use the goal of eliminating sugar from my diet as an example.

Specific Example:

• I want to completely eliminate sugar from my diet by the end of this year.
• I want to do this because I am a binge eater/food addict and I have a sugar addiction.
• I’ll need my husband to help me stay accountable and hide any desserts from me so that I’m not tempted by seeing the food.
• An obstacle might be late-night cravings.
• Some resources I could use are a journal, meditation, and/or talking to my husband about how I’m feeling instead of reaching for sugar to forget my problems.

I have addressed the “who”, “why”, “when”, and “which”. I don’t need to address “where” because it doesn’t apply to this goal.

Measurable Example:

I can eliminate sugar from my diet by cutting it out completely 1 day a week for 3 weeks to start with, then 2 days a week for 3 weeks, etc. until I’ve reached 7 days a week. Eventually, I’ll have eliminated sugar completely.

Attainable Example:

In order for this goal to be attainable, I need to give myself enough time to cut sugar out completely and that might take some getting used to. I have to remember that I’m human and no one is perfect, so if I slip up, it’s ok. I’ll start again with the next meal or the next day.

Yes, my goal is attainable. I will give myself enough time to slowly wean off of sugar.

Relevant Example:

Yes, this is the right time to start this goal. I want to lose weight and not be a slave to sugar. I’m ready to start!

Time-bound Example:

• Starting on June 10, I will eliminate 1 day a week of sugar for 3 weeks.
• Starting on July 1, I will eliminate 2 days a week of sugar for 3 weeks.
• Starting on July 22, I will eliminate 3 days a week of sugar for 3 weeks.

You get the idea.

I have made checkpoints for myself to make sure I stay on track. I’ve also given myself plenty of time to eliminate sugar slowly from my diet. If I need a little extra time to meet each checkpoint, I won’t beat myself up over not making the specific date, but I’ll be able to tell if I’m headed in the right direction.

SMART Health Goals Statement

Now that I’ve gone through an example of a SMART goal in detail, I’ll shorten it up.

SMART Health Goal: By December 31, I will give up eating sugar because it causes me to binge. Every 2 weeks, I will cut 1 more day out of the week of eating desserts, foods with added sugar, and sugary drinks.

Finals Thoughts on SMART Health Goals

SMART health goals need to be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. It may take some time to cover all 5 parts, but when you’re done, you’ll have a great idea of where you’re headed with your goal.

Just remember that with health goals, it will take time to change your habits. Go as slow as you need to for the best results.

Good luck!

Read next:

• Why Do You Overeat?
• How To Develop A Food Plan You Can Live With
• How Important is BMI?
• 5 Simple Exercises For People Who Hate Exercise
• Improve Your Body Image and Mental Health: Take the Challenge

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