Health, wellness, and fitness goals are by far the most popular resolutions as we move to a new year. More than 30% of Canadians set a New Year’s Resolution! Goal setting can be challenging, but is a good way to plan, measure the progress of and achieve.

The Physiohaus team suggests taking time to do the following:

·Clearly define your goal

·Create an action plan

·Measure your progress

We suggest using the SMART system to set your New Year’s resolution. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely.

How to Set a SMART Goal

S – Specific

Your goal should be clear and precise so you can focus your energy and efforts on achieving it. Think about:

·What you want to achieve

·Why it’s important

·What resources you need

M – Measurable

You need to track your progress to stay motivated, meet your deadlines, and in the end celebrate achieving your New Year’s resolution! When setting your goal, think about:

·How will I know I’ve reached my goal?

·Do I have a way to track this?

Thinking about how you’ll measure success will help you come up with an action plan. For example, if your goal is to walk 12,000 steps a day, you’ll need a Fitbit or other smart device.

A – Attainable

Being realistic about the goal that you have set is important. Ask yourself these questions:

·Do I have the physical ability to achieve my goal?

·Is my goal realistic?

·Do I have the resources needed to achieve my goal?

·Is this goal directly influenced by me and my actions?

For some people, walking 12,000 steps a day is a reasonable and achievable goal, while for others that would be unrealistic. Knowing your personal limits will help.

R – Relevant

Choosing a goal that is exciting to you. Ask yourself these questions about your goal and see if it’s still relevant to you:

·Is achieving this goal a worthwhile effort?

·Is it the right goal for me at this time?

T – Timed

Finally, you want to make sure you set a deadline for you to meet your goal. It helps you plan out how you’ll achieve your goal and set priorities if needed. You want to consider thinking about:

·When do I want to achieve my goal by?

·What can I do today to meet my goal?

·What can I do in the next six months to meet my goal?

Using the SMART system to set a goal will help you narrow down exactly what you want to achieve, by when, and start an action plan to get there!