by Emily Goodpaster

The time of year is coming where we hear the phrase “NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION” more times than we can count. I think setting goals is a great and very important way to start your workout journey (or any journey)! But! I also think the New Year’s resolution trend is very toxic, as it often becomes joked about at the end of January and beginning of February, about how many people have already quit and fallen off the wagon. It gives people a great reason and a very soft cushion to fail! 

We learn a very common acronym in school that breaks down how to set a goal. That acronym is S.M.A.R.T. goals and I’ll explain it a little bit more! 

S – Specific 

When setting a goal, you want to have a specific thing you are working towards! Rather than saying you want to “be healthier”, maybe try saying you want to lose a certain percentage of body fat! 

M – Measurable 

Identify a way you can really see if you are reaching your goal. Instead of saying you want to “start working out” try saying “I want to workout 150 minutes per week”. 

A – Achievable 

Is your goal practical? If you set your sights too high, and you get burnt out and can’t get there, you are more likely to stop because you no longer think its possible. 

R – Relevant 

Is your goal something that you should be working towards? If it’s for your health, you better believe it’s relevant! 

T – Time bound 

Do you have a time you want to see your body fat loss by? Having an achievable length the goal will last (ie. 3 months or 6 months) makes you more likely to stay on track with that goal! 

My next advice for goals is to write them down!! And make them visible to you. Whether it’s on your bedside table, on the fridge, or on a sticky note on your work computer, DON’T FORGET ABOUT THEM! 

And lastly, there’s never a bad time to set goals. It does not need to be on January 1st. There’s no reason you should be motivated more on January 1st than you are on any other day of the year!

With all that said, I hope you all have a great end to 2021 and lets start getting healthier now rather than later!