As we begin another year, many of us take this time to reflect on the prior year and make goals for the upcoming year. Maybe you have already made your goals for 2017. Maybe you have already forgotten about or broke your goals. This is ok, but I am challenging you to go back and look at your goals, if you have broken them, and make them SMARTer. If you didn’t make any goals, now is the perfect time.
S – Specific
In order to be a goal, it needs to be something that is specific. As CrossFitters, there are many movements/exercises that we might not be proficient at. Instead of saying, “I want to be better at CrossFit”, choose one movement or skill and make that part of your goal.
M – Measurable
In order for you to know if you reached your goal, it needs to be something that you can measure. Saying, “I want to lose weight”, is not something that is measurable and is much harder to follow. Instead, make your goal something like “I want to lose 5 pounds.”
A – Achievable
One of the issues that many people make when setting goals is to make something that is not achievable. They want to go from the bottom to the top overnight and this becomes very frustrating or difficult and results in dismissing goals. It is a great idea to have a large goal, but it is more achievable to make smaller goals for each day, each month, or each quarter and build up to your final goal.
R – Rewarding
Make goals that matter to you. Ask yourself questions like “is this worthwhile?” and “will I be better when I reach the goal?” Goals should be something that change how you feel, think, act, etc. for the better.
T – Time bound
Goals should have a start and an end. With this being the beginning of the new year, the beginning can be now and the end can be the end of 2017, but it doesn’t have to be. You can set goals for just one month or a few months, but each goal should have a beginning and end.
If you are setting goals for 2017, remember that it is easier to follow goals if they are SMART. Don’t be afraid to break a large goal into smaller chunks. If your goal is to get a muscle-up by June 1, make smaller goals between now and that date that you can achieve like a specific amount pullups, ring dips or transition work to do each week.
Now that you have your goals ready for the new year. Write them down and put them in a place that you will see them and accomplish them. Hope all of you have great 2017 and you accomplish your goals.