All about goals...

Setting goals is important. Having something to strive for gives us determination. When setting health and fitness goals for yourself you should always make sure that they are SMART goals. Goals should be specific and unambiguous.Write down your goal and state specifically what needs to be accomplished. In order to track progress toward your goal it must be measurable. For example: instead of having a goal of "going on more walks", make it your goal to "walk 2 miles, three times a week". Instead of saying "I want to lose some weight" say "I want to lose 5 pounds." Goals need to be attainable, or realistic, for you personally. Don't set so lofty a goal that you become discouraged when you are unable to reach it. Goals should be relevant to your personal interests, needs and abilities. Last, but definitely not least, goals need to be time-bound. When you write down your goal make sure it contains an estimated timeline for completion. This will give you a sense of urgency in working toward your goal and make it harder for you to put it on the back burner. Check in with yourself often to monitor progress toward your goal and make sure you are sticking to the timeline you set. Revisit and revise your goals when you need to. Push yourself but be honest with yourself.

Be sure to include both process and product goals when setting goals. Process goals are something that you do, while product goals are something you achieve. The example I used above, "walk 2 miles, three times week," is a process goal. The second example, "I want to lose five pounds," is a product goal. Reaching goals feels good and motivates you to continue toward the next one. You can reach process goals often, so it's important to set them.

Record your goals. Write them down. Then make sure to monitor, and record, progress toward your goals. If you have a large, long-term goal break it into smaller, short-term goals that you can accomplish as you work toward your main goal. As you check your short-term goals off, reward yourself! What motivates you? New workout gear, a night out, a pedicure? Build a system of rewards into your goals. You deserve to treat yourself for a job well done!