Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Do you want to be healthier, more powerful and lead a much more supported life? We want that for you too! And we are here to help.
As the old dicho goes, “Del dicho al hecho es largo trecho.” – From saying it to doing it is a long stretch of road.
We are here to give you tools for your trecho.
Another old dicho, this one from our Chinese antecedents is, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” If you’re ready, we’re here. We would be happy to be your teacher.
At De Las Mías we talk a lot about making positive changes that will take you on the road to a healthier life.
Here is a tool for your toolbox: It’s called S.M.A.R.T. Goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely.
We believe that anytime we want to make a change, we first must be ready for it. So, consider this…
- Have you been thinking of making a change in your life?
- Have you been thinking of eating more fruits and vegetables?
- Have you been thinking of getting out on a daily walk?
If you have been thinking about making healthy changes, chances are you are ready to go from thinking about it to doing it. But, to make a change, you need a plan. It isn’t enough to say you’re going to do it. You must take yourself to the next important step.
Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Learning how to set goals is a powerful exercise. Here is a well-tested tool that may get you on the road to making healthy changes in all areas of your life. It’s called the SMART Goals tool. Try it! Share it with your comadre. Let us know how we can help!
What does SMART stand for?
Specific – This means you give details to your goal. For example, you don’t just say “I am going to be more active.” You say, “Today, I am going to start walking for 30 minutes and I will do it 3 times per week.”
Measurable – How will you know that you met your goal? Keep track and measure it. It could be as simple as writing it down on a post it and put it on your fridge.
If you use the De Las Mías App, keep your phone with you and the App will track your steps and record it for you. Some people wear Fitbits or some other kind of wearable. This is another way to measure your goals Now, you can even sync your wearable to the De Las Mías App.
Attainable – This means your goal is possible for you. For example, if your feet hurt when you walk, then it’s probably not attainable for you to set a walking goal of 30 minutes. You could try 10 minutes at a time and build up. You could try some other form of being active such as dancing, cycling, or swimming. The important thing is to set a goal you can do. Be realistic and get better results. Don’t shoot for the moon on the first try. Slow and steady wins the race.
Relevant – Does your goal make sense to you? Do you believe that it is important? Does it fit with who you want to become? It has to be something you want and that you believe has value. Otherwise, it won’t work.
Timely – Set a time for when you are going to do it and for how long. Some women even put it on their calendar. Setting a goal for a week at a time is better than setting it for the whole year.
Here is an example of a SMART Goal.
Starting tomorrow, I am going to walk for 20 minutes during my lunch break. I am going to walk every other day for this week. At the end of the week, I will check in with myself and my comadre and see if I need to change my goal for next week or keep this up until I feel satisfied.
We believe that the SMART Goal tool works better if you have someone to share it with. Sharing a goal helps keep us accountable and it is a powerful way to make healthy changes. This is where your amigas and comadres come in. Share your SMART goal with someone who cares about you and wants you to succeed.
¡Buena suerte!
