A SMART approach

Here is one theory a friend passed on to me. It is an approach to achieving personal goals:

"Specific: Specify the behavior you wish to change. Instead of saying, for example, "I will be healthier," determine a particular healthy behavior you will work toward integrating into your life. "I will exercise 3 days a week," or "I will floss my teeth every other day," or "I will eat a piece of fruit every day" are examples.

Measurable: means you can evaluate your progress. So instead of saying "I will increase my exercise," identify the number of days you will be active and/or the amount of time you will put into your regimen. "I will do cardio two days a week for half an hour and lift weights two days a week for twenty minutes" is a measurable goal.

Achievable and Realistic take into account your ability and lifestyle, as well as the rationality of your goal. Saying you're going to do something like exercise "every day" is probably unrealistic, as is setting a goal to "never" do something else like eat chocolate. Do previous injuries prevent you from running a marathon? Will you really be able to maintain 110 pounds? Set goals that are not too easy, but are within your reach.

Time Frame your goals whether it be by the day, week, month, or year, and reassess as necessary. "I will work out 3 days a week for half an hour in the month of January" is a time-framed goal. At the end of the month, I can see if I accomplished my goal and if there are changes I would like to make for the following month.

When you set goals using the SMART system, you are more likely to stay focused, motivated, and achieve what you set out to accomplish. There are few things that feel better than reaching a challenging goal, so think about it and go for it!"