Brenda Schinke

By Brenda Schinke

Having worked as a professional life coach throughout the years, I have witnessed hundreds of my clients tackle their goals and have carefully observed which of their approaches are most likely to result in success. SMART Goals are a universal truth that I have incorporated into a powerful tool to be used for successful weight loss. While goals and resolutions typically end up feeling like rules or obligations, this method actually results in goals that act as powerful motivators for weight loss, assisting and inspiring us throughout the entire process.

Get Specific
The first step is to create a crystal clear picture of whatever it is that we want—the more specific the better. The picture should be so specific that when we read it or think about it, we can actually feel it. "I want to lose some weight" is not nearly specific enough. "I want to lose 15 pounds" is a step in the right direction. But on closer examination, this goal is focused on what we don’t want: the 15 pounds! So what then, do we want? "I want to weigh 117 pounds," is one way of putting it, but this declaration could benefit from some sizzling details to make it the kind of statement that will really inspire us.

To add these details, ask yourself, "What will this look like? What will it feel like?" Another helpful hint is to state your outcome as though it has already happened. "I weigh 117 pounds, and fit into my favorite blue and white dress with ease. When my friends see me, they tell me how great I look, and my husband says I’m really ‘Hot!’".

Doesn’t it seem more real already? And that’s just the S in the SMART method!

Make The Goal Measurable
We read articles like this one because we want more from life. We’re the kind of people who are often asking, "How could I have done this better? How could I improve this?" And the this here, applies to pretty much anything and everything that we’ve ever done. Before we move on, let’s ask ourselves: When was the last time we truly celebrated a success that we’ve had versus coming up with the 27 things we could have done differently or better?

Having measurable goals is essential, because they help us to know when it’s time to acknowledge ourselves…when it’s time to celebrate and to feel good. If our goal isn’t measurable, chances are we’ll accomplish a lot, but won’t ever take the time to stop and say, "I did it!" For example, let’s say we set a goal like, "I want to lose some weight." Well, no matter how much weight you lose, you would probably find yourself saying things like, "I could have lost a few more pounds." It’s like trying to hit a moving target. And after months (or years) of not acknowledging successes, it’s no wonder we stop setting goals. It isn’t any fun!

So, if we take another look at our goal, we’ve already made it pretty measurable when we state, "I weigh 117 pounds and fit in my blue and white dress!" We’ll definitely know when we’ve gotten to our goal. Could we make it even more measurable? Sure. We could select a specific body fat percentage or a number of inches we’d like to lose. We could decide that we want to be able to run a 10k or a half marathon. We could decide that feeling comfortable in shorts or a bathing suit will be a major milestone on our journey toward wearing that dress. That fitting into a certain pair of pants will be the step that comes before that. That climbing the office stairs without getting out of breath is the step that comes before that. See how creating milestones takes us even deeper into the specific nature of the goal?

Next Steps for Goal Setting
Congratulations! Just taking the time to make your goal specific and measurable has put you ahead of most people with a goal, since very few people ever get to even this level of clarity. The next three steps in the SMART method of goal setting can actually put us in the top one percent of people on the planet, for this is the level where goals are not just fully envisioned, but become almost magical blueprints for personal success. Best of all, this method can be applied to any goal, and once we see how effective it can be for our weight loss efforts, we’ll be chomping at the bit to apply it to every other area of our lives!