S.M.A.R.T. GOALS by Dr. Angela Tran
America’s Transformational Weight Loss Doctor™
The “biggest losers” at our clinic excel at one very specific fundamental: SMART goals. SMART goals (an acronym for 5 steps in goal setting) was developed as an effective tool to help individuals achieve their high goals on a consistent basis. If you want tips on how to motivate yourself, this is it. Get a pen and paper, and let’s do this.
S – Specific. This is the most important step. Being vague about what you want leads you to nowhere. Outline as much detail about the end result you would like to achieve.
M – Measurable. Set a goal that you can measure. What gets measured, gets done. It allows you to assess your progress and drive you on a regular basis.
A – Attainable. Make sure your goal is attainable. You must believe that you can reach your goal. Turn your goal into something that is tangible, and then what once was a wish, can actually become true.
R – Realistic. Losing 50 lbs by “tomorrow” is not so realistic. While it is important to have realistic goals, don’t shortcut yourself either. If you set your standard too low, your efforts will only meet the bar you set. But if you reached for your goal weight even though it may seem far away, you will adjust your effort level to the higher standard that you have set for yourself. I can help you with this target number when I see you in the office.
T – Time-based. This is the most common left out step. Make sure you put a clock onto that goal. Set yourself a deadline. Put yourself on the hook. You will need just a little pressure on yourself to perform. Otherwise, you will find yourself wandering into procrastination, and nothing will ever get done then.
Be focused. Set SMART goals on a consistent basis, and you will find yourself that much closer to your goal weight that you had been dreaming of.
