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A route cannot be planned between two unknown points. Project Managers use the acronym S.M.A.R.T. to help determine whether a task is broken down enough to be added to the schedule. It stands for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Constrained.
A goal can be considered specific if it cannot be broken down further. For example, “I want to lose weight” can be further broken down to “I want to lose five pounds.” This is very important. Without specificity, a goal is not objective.

A goal is measurable if the resultant condition can be observed or measured by a disinterested party or a piece of equipment. “I want to lose weight” does not meet this criterion. A disinterested party may or may not see weight-loss, and it is not quantifiable. The result of “I want to lose five pounds” can be easily measured with a scale.

Attainability is almost the most important element of the SMART goal for fitness. If the goal is not attainable It is too easily abandoned. “I want to lose 150 lbs of fat and gain 275 lbs of lean body mass by 31 December of this year.” is possible if you divorce one spouse and marry another, much larger, leaner model. But, it’s not attainable in a fitness sense. To be realistic people should start at a 1.5-lb per week fat loss, or a 2-lb lean mass gain per month. Some will find that larger losses or gains are possible. Please don’t tie yourself to a goal which is unattainable.

Whether a goal is attainable or not, it must be realistic. Many goals are attainable given extraordinary conditions or pharmaceutical help. That does not make it realistic. For fitness goals, you should concentrate, first, on the guidelines in the attainable paragraph.

Time-Constraint simply means that a goal has a time limit. A goal can be time-constrained by calendar dates or by a quantity of time. Both of the following time constraints are valid:

12 weeks 31
October 2007

Without a deadline, a goal has absolutely no power. The project team that put man on the moon had a time-constraint. The team of scientists that built the first atomic bomb had a time constraint. Without a time constraint it is too easy to put something off. Commitments must be bound to a specific time.

When you tie these all together you have what separates a GOAL from a VISION. A goal without all of the above elements is not a goal. It is a vision. Vision statements are fine for the family and friends. For your contract to yourself, a vision statement doesn’t mean squat. The following examples will illustrate the power of SMART:

“I will gain 15 lbs of muscle in two months.”

Let’s test this goal using the SMART technique.

Is it Specific? YES
Is it Measurable? YES
Is it Attainable? Perhaps with the proper pharmaceutical help. YES
Is it Realistic? NO
Is it Time-Constrained? YES

Since there is a NO in the test this is not a good goal. It must be altered. In concept it’s a good goal, so with a simple adjustment it looks like this:

“I will gain 5 lbs of muscle in two months.”

Is it Specific? YES (5 lbs)
Is it Measurable? YES (with a scale and skin-fold calipers)
Is it Attainable? YES (with proper nutrition and legal supplementation)
Is it Realistic? YES (This can be done with a lot of work.)
Is it Time-Constrained? YES (2 months)

This simple test “SMART” will reduce the risk of a failed attempt at fitness. Writing a proper SMART goal is key to successful completion of a program. It is not the only part though. Before a goal can be set an accurate self-assessment must be performed. Remember that the Goal is the destination of a journey. A route can only be planned when the starting point is known.

For more information on SMART Goals, please feel free to email Tim or Amy at: info@fitness-advice-guide.com.

When you tie desired results to specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-constrained goals sets you up for success. The SMART goal is the destination of your journey. Without it you don’t know where you are going.

Tim Barnby
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/smart-goals-for-fitness-74802.html

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 12:28 am and is filed under fitness nutrition. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.