Have you ever set a goal that you did not reach?
No matter how dedicated you are, achieving goals of any kind is hard, but achieving body transformation goals is especially challenging.
To set yourself up for the best women’s body transformation possible, you must set your goals correctly. Poorly setting your goals will set you up for failure that is frustrating and discouraging. It’s easy to lose confidence when you don’t meet your goals and to believe that the problem has to do with you. Few times this is the case, most often Superwomen like you simply need to set SMART goals.
Today, we’ll discuss the importance of setting SMART goals for your body transformation.
What are SMART Goals?
SMART goals are usually something we learn about in school or the corporate world, but they’re so important that they are worth reviewing. SMART goals are targeted, action-driving, and will begin the process of helping you achieve your goals. Here’s what it means to set a SMART goal:
- Specific: The first quality of a SMART goal is specific. Instead of setting general goals, be specific. Turn “I want to lose weight” into “I want to lose 3% of body fat”. Furthermore, state declarations to ignite action. “I want to lose 3% body fat” should be “I will lose 3% body fat.”
- Measurable: You need to be able to measure your progress and look at how you’re doing. When your goal is measurable, you can adjust if the path you are on is not working. For example, if you need to lose a certain body fat percentage each week to meet your 3% goal, then you’ll need to measure your progress each week to determine any changes to make. Seeing progress also helps you stay motivated.
- Achievable: One of the biggest mistakes people make when setting goals is to pick something that’s not realistic. It’s great to challenge yourself, but your goals should also be achievable. Make sure the goal you set is within your abilities and that you know you can accomplish it.
- Relevant: Relevant goals are ones that really matter to your life. Choose something that you care about. For example, you may not care as much about physical appearance as you do about being able to enjoy activities with your children or grandchildren. For you, it makes sense to focus on ability fitness goals that are about improving your health, and visual goals like body-fat percentage.
- Time-bound: Create a deadline for your goals so that you foster a sense of urgency. When you feel like you have forever to do something, it’s easy to delay and lose interest. Having a deadline will help motivate you and push to get your goal done. It can help you overcome procrastination and embrace hard work. Set a realistic goals for yourself. Like 5lbs in 6-8 weeks versus “5lbs in 5 days.”
Benefits of SMART Goals for Your Body Transformation
Setting SMART goals will help you stay on track for your women’s body transformation. Here are some of the top benefits of SMART goals for your fitness journey:
- Stay on track. The course of your body transformation is long and challenging. It can be easy to lose sight of the light at the end and forget why you’re on this journey, to begin with. SMART goals keep you on track, allowing you to stay focused on what’s important to you.
- Accountability. Goals are like a personal contract that you make with yourself. They keep you accountable for what you want to accomplish and push you to do better. For even greater accountability, write down your goals and share them with others. Consider getting an “accountability partner” with whom you can share your goals and progress. It can help both of you to also encourage each other.
- Mark your progress. A core component of SMART goals is that they are measurable. This means that you can track your results and you’ll know which measurements to take as a baseline.
- Stay calm and collected. Without SMART goals, it’s really hard to know where to start or what you should be doing each day. SMART goals make it easier to create a plan of action and to determine which steps you need to take each day to reach your goal. This will ultimately help you stay collected and reduce your stress throughout your body transformation journey.
- Motivation. Reaching your body transformation goals is never easy. Along the way, you’ll face challenges and obstacles that make you want to quit. Striving toward a SMART goal motivates you day in and day out to put in the work.
- Work with a trainer more effectively. Anytime you ask a coach or trainer for help, they will want to know what your goals are. When you set SMART goals, you’ll be able to explain them to a coach, which means he or she can provide you with more relevant information and help you reach your goals.
Setting SMART goals will help you stay on track for your women’s body transformation. Here are some of the top benefits of SMART goals for your fitness journey:
Create Large and Small Goals
Big goals are often long term, they take longer to achieve. Along the way, you should create smaller step-by-step goals that help you reach your big goals. If you only set long-term goals, they may feel overwhelming and you could lose track. Break your larger goals down into smaller goals.
For example, if you have a lot of weight you must lose that could be a big goal. Maybe you need to lose 50lbs in 1 year. Split that big goal into smaller goals of losing just over 4lbs a month, or 1lb a week. It becomes a lot more manageable, and you’ll be able to track your progress better.
How to Overcome Hurdles with SMART Goals
Life gets in the way. No matter how SMART your goals are or how committed you are, there may be times when you face hurdles. Perhaps part of your SMART goal involves you doing an exercise class 3x a week. Imagine that you have to work late and miss the class. By the time you get home, it’s pretty late. Instead of throwing in the towel and giving up for the day, have a plan B. You could do an at-home workout or even go for a brisk walk once you get home. If you find exercising after work is too difficult altogether, alter your schedule so you can exercise in the morning, at lunch, or primarily on weekends.
Tips for Staying on Track with SMART Goals
Life gets in the way. No matter how SMART your goals are or how committed you are, there may be times when you face hurdles. Perhaps part of your SMART goal involves you doing an exercise class 3x a week. Imagine that you have to work late and miss the class. By the time you get home, it’s pretty late. Instead of throwing in the towel and giving up for the day, have a plan B. You could do an at-home workout or even go for a brisk walk once you get home. If you find exercising after work is too difficult altogether, alter your schedule so you can exercise in the morning, at lunch, or primarily on weekends.
- Build up your goal Going from no exercise to 7 days a week is a recipe for disaster. Maybe start with three days a week, and once you meet that goal you can slowly bump it up.
- Plan Setting your SMART goals is just the start. Next, you need to plan how you will achieve them and what you’ll do if you encounter roadblocks along the way. Try to envision obstacles ahead of time so you can put processes in place to prevent and overcome them.
- Share your goals with others.
Begin Your SMART Women’s Body Transformation
SMART goals are the key to a successful body transformation for women over 40. With the right goals in place, you’ll be able to enjoy your body transformation journey and stay on track. At JOC, we understand the power of SMART goals. Our experienced transformation coaches will help you create your SMART goal and create a program suited for your goals. Get started with your SMART body transformation HERE.
