Is Your New Year’s Resolution SMART?

A friend of mine once said "Making a New Year's resolution is like shooting at a target a mile away-It's out of reach and out of sight." Good point and for most of us our New Year's resolutions never hit the target. But I take a different approach to resolutions, for me it's making a smart one. A smart resolution needs to be: 


Specific-Measurable- Attainable- Realistic and Time limited.

So before I go out and purchase the Elliptical machine, I need make sure my goal is specific and not too broad-can it be measured? Can I attain it this year? And is it realistic? For example
I'm short and
growing three inches is not realistic for me. If my goal is not SMART, the Elliptical machine I buy will turn out to be another coat hanger along with the Stair Stepper and the Bow Flex. BTW if you need a nice Bow Flex, I'm posting it on Craig's list.

The other night my wife and I were eating at a fine dining establishment with some friends. As I was putting the finishing touches on the garlic mashed potatoes, I made the grand pronouncement: "I'm going to lose weight this year. The words just hung in the air among the laughter. Obviously it wasn't a smart goal. But if I applied my SMART rule, my goal would look like this:

Specific: It is my goal to lose 15 to 20 pounds this year. I will accomplish this by counting calories and working out at the gym 3 to 4 times a week.

Measurable: I will track my progress by weighing myself on the scale and also note subtle changes like being able to tie my shoes without losing my breath.

Attainable: Losing 15 to 20 pounds is attainable in one year. There is a goofy saying "inch by inch is a cinch-but yard by yard is hard." So if I plan to lose the 15 pounds in one year, I can do it.

Realistic: I may not be able to have a full set of hair or grow 3 inches or become an astronaut but I can lose the weight, that's realistic.

Time limited: I'm giving myself one year to lose 15 to 20 pounds. I also can break this down to smaller increments like 5 pounds a month or whatever time frame is doable for me.

Now let's put it all together: It is my resolution to lose 15 pounds by December 31, 2010. I will accomplish this by working out 4 days a week at the gym; count my caloric intake and decrease the amount of junk food. I will follow my progress by weighing myself and note subtle changes such as being able to tie my shoe without heavy breathing. I can achieve this goal if I follow the plan I have set for myself.

Now that is a SMART goal and next New Year I will write a post being 15 to 20 pounds lighter. Happy New Year.