Reference no: EM133767865

Discussion Post: Goals

theme is GOALS. We talked about habits that require us to FOCUS last week and this week I want you to think about your GOALS, month, and semester. A goal is a statement of what you want to happen. Effort must be directed toward your goal in order for it to become a reality. Goals can accompany all areas of our lives, such as professional, academic, personal, wellness, health and fitness. Goals keep us motivated to keep putting forth effort, to give our best and to push through hard times. Not having goals or goals that aren't clearly defined can be a huge reason why people do not make positive changes or successfully complete tasks (such as degrees, diets, and so on). Setting goals is important and crucial to our long term success and happiness.

When setting goals remember the acronym S.M.A.R.T. Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Here is an example of a SMART goal:

I want to decrease my soda consumption to zero Sunday through Friday and on Saturday have no more than 1 soda per day this semester. One soda or less per week is my desired goal.

This is a better goal than I want to eat healthy. Eating Healthy isn't specific enough. Consuming sugary drinks is specific, it is measurable (you either did it or not). Replacing sugary drinks with more water and filling your stomach with fruits and vegetables is a healthier plan than drinking large portions of soda. It is attainable if you have access to the food and water and have a deep desire to improve your health. Realistically, most people can cut out sugary drinks and increase water consumption. We can all eat more fruits and vegetables, and focusing on this semester makes it a timely goal that is not too open ended. If I drink no more than 1 soda per week, it is most likely going to help me decrease my total caloric intake each day, decrease my consumption of unhealthy food and ultimately lead to a better body composition and healthier eating habits.

Another important element in reaching goals is making sure your commitment matches your goals. We focused on commitment in Week 1 and we want you to pull those thoughts into matching up your commitment to your goals. If your goal is to look like a professional athlete or fitness model and you only work out 3-4 hours per week then the commitment isn't where it needs to be to reach that specific goal. Can you commit to specific changes that will effect the desired goal? What would those commitments be? An obvious commitment to have with the soda example is not to have it in the refrigerator to be tempting you all week!

Task

Post below on the DISCUSSION BOARD 2 SMART goals related to your health & fitness and 2 Specific Commitments you make to reaching those goals.

1) Do you like to set GOALS? Have you ever connected COMMITMENT to reaching GOALS?

2) What did you think of the equation link with Action and goal setting and success in the previous page? Do you take action enough on personal goals?

3) What action can you take in relation to this goals?