Yesterday, I was doing an e-counseling session and the topic of goal setting came up. I thought that it would be fun to discuss this topic on OSG and elaborate on my previous goal setting post.
Short Term vs. Long Term Goals:
1) Short term goals help you achieve long-term goals.
It would be silly for me to say that I want to run a marathon by my 30th birthday and then not set any short-term goals that would help me get there (e.g., I will run 3 times per week increasing my mileage by 10% each week).
2) The beauty of short-term goals is that they change often and keep our motivation UP!
3) Short term goals should be challenging, but not too challenging.
For example, I set a short term goal of running the 10k race this past weekend. I had the option of signing up for the 1/2 marathon, but I knew that the goal would be too challenging given my lack of training and injury recovery. Make sure your short terms goals are attainable! Success breeds more success (and confidence). The point here is to set realistic goals that we can achieve and keep progressing to the long term goal.
Now, complete this Goal Planner that I adapted from the one in my Health and Wellness textbook:
A.Write down 3 accomplishments that you are proud of in your life. Beside each one write down how each of them made you feel.
B.Write down 3 goals that you want to achieve over the next 3 months. It can be anything. Some examples are: increase exercise, reduce stress, increase flexibility, try new foods, cook more, increase energy, reduce illness, tone up, drink more water, reduce muscle pain, sleep more/better, take a course, make more money, etc. Also write how they will make you feel!
C Write down ‘terminals’ for each goal. In other words, how you will know when the goal is completed or ended. Write a start date and a finish date if you want to get really specific.
D Now comes the planning part. Write down what you need to do to achieve these goals! Be as specific as possible as list as many points as needed for each goal.
Here is mine to start us off!! :)
A. Accomplishment –> Feeling
1. Graduating with my MA degree –> Proud, successful, determined, accomplished, smart, capable, hard-working
2. Starting my own business –> Innovative, creative, daring, inspiring, unexpected, passionate, honest, scared
3. Helping others –> Alive, loving, inspired, peaceful, thoughtful, caring, challenging, growing, anxious, hopeful, passionate, very happy, fulfilled, dedicated, loyal.
B. 3 goals in 3 months –> Feeling
From June 17, 2009 to Sept. 17, 2009
1. Acura 10 mile race (July 19, 2009) –> Like a strong, fit runner! Proud, happy.
2. Finalize Glo Bakery recipes + website info/updates by end of summer –> Organized
3. Write Nutrition + Wellness exam (and pass) by end of summer –> certified, confident, prepared
C. See above.
D. Planning!
1. My goal is to run two times per week, ideally with one shorter run (3-4 miles) and one longer run (5-7 miles) eventually building up to the race distance (16k) by mid July. Continue to strength train 2x per week and cross train. Stretch!!!
2. Continue experimenting with new recipes. Try new organic and healthy substitutions in my current recipes. Test, test, test and have family and friends review the baked goods. Update all nutritional info on finalized products. Take professional pictures, update descriptions/ingredients, etc.
3. Finish reading manual. Review manual. Do study manual and practice questions over and over. Prepare not only for written exam, but for practical exam as well. Take CPR course and pass it.
Now it’s your turn!
++++++
I also like the SMART system for setting goals.
It stands for Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, and Timed.
Specific: Clearly define your goals! Be specific as possible. This is a good example of a specific goal: “I want to cook at least 4 nights per week” instead of “I want to cook more.”
Measurable: Set goals that can be measured! For example, “I want to bring my waist size down to 31 inches.”
Action-oriented: Create action oriented goals such that tell you HOW you are going to achieve your goal. For example, “I will cook 4 times per week by preparing a large dinner every Sunday and freezing leftovers for quick heat up. I will also pick two new recipes on Sunday and include the items on my grocery list.”
Realistic: Example of a realistic goal: “I will lose 1 pound per week” or “I will limit my sweets/desserts to 4 times per week instead of 6-7.”
Timed: Set a timeline or date that you want the goal completed! For example, “I will run my next race on July 19th”
Today’s question:
Ok, everyone list ONE short term goal and ONE long term goal off the top of your head…..GO!!!!
Me:
ST: Take a cupcake decorating class
LT: Be a health and wellness counselor (out of house and online)
This was a fun post!!!
See you this afternoon! :)
You are so organized and have everything well thought out. I really admire that! I’m so bad at setting specific goals – which of course then I’m not really sure if I make my goals because they are so vague!
Short Term Goal – work out 6 times a week (even if it’s just something little).
Long Term Goal – have a successful Etsy shop selling my handmade bags and other accessories/clothing
I love goal setting and do it all the time (and help others do it through life coaching) but I still feel stuck sometimes! Great, motivating post for me to read this morning.
Short Term Goal – Have at least two new paying clients by the end of July
Long Term Goal – Publish a fun, funny, helpful book (and many more after the first!)
short term- get over my boyfriend cheating on me after two years when i supported us both.
long term- make honors my first semester of college
I love this post — such a unique one!
Short Term Goal: Write down a schedule to help me better manage my time.
Long Term Goal: Further my education so that I can incorporate nutrition into my career.
Angela, what is a health and wellness counselor? Do have a link with info?
Hi angela! question for you? who are you doing your health and wellness certification with?? (school..etc)
Long term goal: Not this year, but next..apply to Mohawk for the health/wellness and fitness program (2 year degree) AND get in lol
Short term: Continue tracking what I eat every day
Hey everyone! I am doing it with Can Fit Pro http://www.canfitpro.com/default_eng.htm Check it out! ~A
I love goal setting!
Short term goal: Try a green monster with my fiance
Long term goal: Run a half marathon
Short term goal: Run 3x a week to train for my marathon.
Long term goal: Run my marathon in Dec.
Thanks for the goal setting tips! Love your posts as always!
Wow lol, when I saw the title I immediately thought of SMART because that’s one of the things I’ll be doing with my clients for sport consulting! Also, this post reminds me – I wanted to tell you to double check into using the term “counselor/counseling”. You might have to use specialist or consultant since you’re not a licensed counselor. Since I’m doing the sport psych degree and not the counseling degree as well I’ll only be allowed to call myself a sport consultant or a sport psych consultant (and even that’s iffy lol, because the words psychology and psychologist are really supposed to be used in your title only if you have a Ph.D.) Who knows, it may be different in Canada. :-P
Yes I will be called a Nutrition and Wellness Specialist, but there is nothing that prohibits me from saying that I will be doing ‘e-counseling’ or ‘counseling clients’. They use the term freely in the manual. :) ~A
Great post! Great timing for me too, because it’s always good to remember what you’ve ALREADY accomplished instead of only looking at what needs to be done.
ST – Write (non-blog) three times per week.
LT – Find something that I truly love to do and embrace and love myself.
hey great post, I just rewrote my goals as positive affirmations last night! Slightly OT, I have a great book red for you, it’s called “The Body Fat Solution by Tom Venuto” it helped me combat my emotional eating 150%!! I’ve read every fitness/nutrition/don’t diet be happy book out there and there is NOTHING like it! I thought you’d appreciate it seeing as you’ve struggled in the past with finding a happy balance in your life. Please keep me updated if you do read it, would love to hear your thoughts on his techniques!
Love this post! I’m going to set some goals today!
UM CAN I JUST SAY THAT YOU HAVE INCREDIBLE TIMING?
Lol.
I just got a super important call, while I was reading your blog, about a job interview on monday and that interview is totally going in my goal setting agenda.
It’s probably a short term goal: Do well on the interview! Be friendly and outgoing, easy to get along with, and voice my opinions clearly. Smile, be happy, be enthusiastic, you so deserve this job!!!!
Long term goal: Depends on my short term goal for now, kinda.
thanks Angela:)
Great post! Give me something to think about on my run tonight.
Short term- organize my house and time a bit better so that I can enjoy the summer
Long term- train, run, and not stress about the Newport Half Marathon. I signed up last night (!!), and I will be posting my training plan later tonight.
ST- Set weekly/month budget and STICK to it
LT-Run a 1/2 Marathon
Love this post. I’ve been needing to set some goals for a long time!
ST – Train for sprint triathlon and complete in August
LT – Run a half marathon
ST: Run 20-25 miles per week
LT: Run a half marathon again
Happiness Awaits
ST: Buy a car (Eep!)
LT: Write a second novel
Thanks for this brilliant post! My job (in mental health and addictions) is 50% about SMART goal setting, and it’s so good you’ve spread the word on your blog. I used to set my goals like “Do X more” and didn’t know why I failed all the time. Now that I’m SMART with my goals, I’ve seen much more success and felt way more empowered by my own actions.
ST: Run my first 5 or 10k race by September, and complete my online course work by the same date
LT: Complete my education upgrade by 2011 to get more satisfying work in the future
Love this!
ST: Run under 20 minutes in my next 5K
LT: Get into grad school and get A’s!!
Great post! I really appreciate that you set out specific types/steps of goal planning. Very helpful!
ST: Eat mindfully today, this week, this month.
LT: Become an RD and maintain in-hospital and private practice!
What a great post about goal setting!! Thank you soo much!!
Short Term: Pass my NCLEX (Registered Nurse licensing exam)
Long Term: Apply and get into a nurse practitioner program…then have a successful career as an NP
Short Term : lose these last 9 lbs.
Long Term : become a PR agent after finishing school
Love this post! I’ve been focusing on setting goals lately, especially the little things that will bring me to the bigger things that I want/need.
I love goal setting. I’ve heard this story a few times but can’t remember the source so some of the details may not be exact but I’ve been told it by professor’s at school so I know the premise of the story is right.
They did a study at Harvard that followed a graduating class in the 60’s throughout their careers. Of those that graduated 10% wrote down their goals, 50% had goals in mind, and 40% were unsure as to what they wanted out of life. 20 years later, when looking at this same graduating class, the 10% that had written down their goals had more wealth than the combined 90% of the rest of the graduating class.
Goes to show how important goal setting is.
My Short term goal: Graduate Business School and find an articling job in accounting
My Long term goal: Find some spirituality in my everyday life that brings me peace and brings down my stress levels
great idea!
short term: incorporate more veggies into my diet daily.
long term: find out what the heck my passions are and find a job that incorporates them!
Awesome post! I will definitely be using the Goal Planner.
Off the top of my head:
Short term: Incorporate more out-door activities
Long term: Set up a fitness program my husband and I do together.
Fun post!!
SHORT TERM – Join a local yoga studio
LONG TERM – Move to Austin, TX and pursue design work
I love goal setting! I love achieving them even more :D
Short term: complete a triathlon (2 1/2 weeks until the race!!!)
Long term: Be my own boss
Ohhhh this is a good, productive post!
Short-Term: Find a full-time job with benefits ASAP.
Long-Term: Eventually discover what my true passions are and pursue them!!!
awesome angela!
i’ve got this post saved and i hope to goal brainstorm tonight as i unwind :)
I think it’s so important to set goals, so you know what you’re striving for.
My shrink and I just started SMART Goals! Mine are to lift weights three times a week, listen to meditation/relaxation tapes 2x a week, and practice piano 2x a week. I’ve got to get those all done in the next 3 days!!!
Angela,
You are an amazing lady. I couldn’t believe where do you have the time to do all those you want to achive all your goals. I really admire you for all your acoomplishments.
Short Term goals : To get back to my 6 days exercise routine for 12 weeks and give up ciggies.
Long Term goals : To be successful in my career and also to know what I really love doing in my spare time.