How to set S.M.A.R.T goals for yourself
Everybody wants to have a body like roman armor. Everybody wants to have more money than Bill Gates. Everybody wants to have the big house with the inground pool and the white picket fence.
Why don’t you?
What is it in life you want to achieve, and why is it that some manage to get there while others spend their life on the hamster wheel?
The answer is so simple that it almost needs no explanation. The difference is in one’s ability to set goals. And not just one goal, but a series of goals designed to achieve that big goal. It is not enough to simply say “I want to be rich” or “I want to lose weight”. In order for a goal to be achievable, it needs to be SMART. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time based.
Now anybody whose ticked the boxes for a certificate III in fitness would be familiar with this… but it doesn’t just apply to training. It applies to life.
Specific: To say you want to be rich, is not a goal. To say you want to be massive or ripped is not a goal. How much do you want to earn? How much makes you rich? What exact dollar figure do you which do achieve? How much do you want to weigh? What % body fat is ripped? A goal without specifics is just an idea.
Measurable: How are you going to measure your wealth? Do you want to have a certain amount of dollars in the bank? Do you want to have a net worth that incorporates real estate and stocks? How big is massive? How are you going to track your body composition? Weight? Measuring tape? Calipers? A goal that can’t be measured, can’t be achieved.
Achievable: Can you make as much money as Bill Gates in the next year… I would argue not, and if you can, lets go halves in your idea now before you launch it. Wealth is very achievable. A fantastic physique is very achievable. But it won’t happen overnight and the bigger the goal the harder it is. Almost every goal is achievable… but you will need several smaller goals to achieve the big one.
Realistic: If you have never trained, you will not look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in 6 months. If you are in your first year of a business, you will not make a million dollars. Be realistic or be disappointed.
Time Based: This is the big one. Big goals take time… But they are the ones worth fighting for till the better end! Do you want to be financially independent? You can! But first you need to work out when this needs to happen by so you can reverse engineer everything from that. How much do you need to earn each year between now and then? How much do you need to invest, and what do you need to invest in? Remember, to make wealth, it’s not about what you earn, it’s about what you keep! Want to compete in Mr universe? It’s achievable if you’re willing to do the work! How much body fat can you lose a week? How much Muscle can you gain in a year (remembering the principal of realism)? How much does this slow down as you get closer to peak physique? Crunch the numbers, be realistic. And work out the time you need to achieve your goal.
Team, in the end it doesn’t matter how big your goal is. Only that you have a plan and the passion to see it through. A goal without a plan is nothing more than a dream. Make a plan, and make the dream come true.