S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting for the New Year
By: Leslee Bayer, Health and PE Teacher
No matter if you are in kindergarten or a senior in high school we can all set short-term and long-term goals. Many people in January set health and wellness goals but goals can also be academic/career-related, emotional/mental, spiritual, etc. To help you set your New Year’s goals for the new year let’s review what a SMART goal is!
Specific - Be specific with your goals. Rather than saying “I want to run farther.” you would say “I want to be able to run 1 mile without stopping.”
Measurable - Make your goal measurable! How do you measure your goal? In this example, your measurement would be how far you can run without stopping.
Attainable - Be sure that this goal is something that you can do! It may take a few weeks, a few months, or a year, but with work this is an attainable goal! For example, if you have a knee injury, running a mile may not be possible for you this semester.
Realistic - This goal should be something that is realistic to do. If you can currently run a half mile, setting a goal to run a marathon may not be the most realistic goal - but running a full mile or taking part in a 3k or 5k race may be within reach!
Time-based - Set a time-line and stick to it! Adjust as needed of course; if you were a bit behind on this week’s goal, you can readjust your goal - after all, this is YOUR goal! It is good to set daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Set small goals to reach that larger goal! In the mile example, you could work to run .5 miles without stopping, the following week .6 miles, etc.
Sharing your goals with someone else or even working together towards the same goal can make the experience even better! You can also set a reward for yourself - for example, after logging 20 miles in your log you could get a new pair or running shoes. If you are earning rewards, make them healthy ones! Best of luck setting and achieving your S.M.A.R.T. goals in 2020!