What goals have you set for yourself this year?One of my goals is to try to eat a variety of vegetables every month. Sometimes I get stuck in a rut and eat the same things over and over again. Sometime this summer when they are in season, I hope to try patty pan squash! I haven’t had Brussels sprouts for a very long time so I hope to get them in at least once this year. (Brussels sprouts are not my favorite, so I’m collecting good recipes now if you have any!) I aim to eat a minimum of one vegetable from every color of the rainbow.
Red (January)
Orange (February)
Yellow (March)
Green (April)
Blue (May)
Purple (June)
And then repeat July – December.
I’ve learned several things about goal planning over the years. Using the SMART goal planning technique has always served me well. SMART goals should be Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Reasonable, and Timely.Below are some examples of SMART goals vs. not-so-SMART goals:
Goal: I want to read a few books to educate myself more.
SMART goal: I want to read 3 leadership training books by my birthday. I will read a chapter a night for at least 4 nights a week after dinner. I can achieve this because my spouse has agreed to watch the kids while I’m reading.
Another example:
Goal: I want to lose 30 pounds.
SMART goal: I want to lose 10 lbs in 4 months and fit into a size 10 pair of pants. I will exercise three evenings a week in the gym from 4-5:30 pm. I can achieve this because I have lost weight in this way before.
If I turned my colored vegetable goal into a SMART goal it would look something like this:
I want to try a different colored vegetable each month to correspond with the colors of the rainbow. I will do this by picking out the vegetable ahead of time and keeping a chart on my refrigerator to help me stay on track.
Do you have any SMART goals? Have you made any in the past? If nothing else, it will make you more accountable if you share them!