R is for realistic... If we defined attainable as concrete and objective (can this be done?), then realistic is defined as personal and subjective: can this be done by me? This isnt a question of your personal strength or self-worth, but rather a realistic look at where you are in your life right now. That includes your readiness for change, your schedule, and other factors which will influence your success. Each other aspect of your SMART goal will feed back to this one, and you may need to alter one or more parameters to ensure a realistic goal. Lets keep revising our examples... I want to lose 45 pounds. Assuming you have this much weight to lose, then its time to ask yourself some questions about this goal. Are you willing to exercise regularly and make significant changes to your diet? If so, this is likely a realistic goal for you. If not, you have the same two choices you had for an unattainable goal: revise it or replace it with another goal. As is often the case, a goal with less concrete measures is often a little more challenging to work with. When looking at our stress example, some deeper questions may be needed to assess how realistic this goal is. Do you thrive on stress or on some level feel proud of how chaotic your job is? Is your job really the source of your stress, or do you create it yourself, meaning it will follow you to any new position you might find? Determining how realistic a goal may be is really a process of self-exploration. Try to enter this process with a positive mind-set and withhold judgement. As trainer Deb is fond of saying, it is what it is. You are where you are in your life; you have the readiness and resources available to you in this moment. Work from where you are and you will move forward, even if its not the distance, or even in the direction, you originally conceived. Our last letter tomorrow! Adding a time component to your goal...
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 01:07:00 +0000
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