Regardless of the endeavor, whether in the area of business, education, or even sports, defining goals is an important aspect of being successful. The businessman knows that he can 't expect to see a profit at the end of the year if he hasn't set quarterly goals to get there; the student knows she won't score a 750 on the verbal portion of her SAT if she doesn't set weekly study goals for memorizing vocabulary words; and the basketball player can't expect to make it to the playoffs if he hasn't set goals to train and practice during the regular season.

Success with regards to health and weight is no different. Goals are needed in these arenas as well. But the success of attaining such goals relies not just on a person's commitment and hard work (although those are key elements, of course). A path for success is cut even as you develop and set your goals. To this end, your goals have to be SMART.



So what are SMART goals? SMART goals are:

• S - Specific
• M - Measurable
• A - Attainable
• R - Realistic
• T - Timely

Specific - Goals need to be specific.  I want to lose weight € only states what • it doesn't say why you want to lose weight or how you intend on losing it. You make the goal specific when you add:

• I am going to use the HCG Protocol by Dr. Simeons to lose X number of pounds.
• I want to lose this weight to become more healthy, regulate my hormones, live longer, look better, and feel better

Measurable • Your goals have to be measureable, allowing you to see how much progress you've made, and if adjustments are necessary. There is also satisfaction to be gained as you see yourself moving towards reaching that goal, giving you the confidence and motivation to keep moving forward. In the case of weight loss, you could measure your goal by keeping track of:

• Loss of pounds by day, week, and rounds
• Loss of inches
• Changes in dress/pant sizes
• Difference in appearance (as measured in before, during, and after pictures)

Attainable • Setting attainable goals is important because you want to set goals that are challenging, but not overwhelming. You want goals that you can commit to and take seriously €”not something so easy that you won't appreciate the process of getting there. But you also want goals that are not so unattainable that they become a recipe for failure. Setting attainable goals requires some self-assessment and perhaps even some research effort. Ask yourself what has been your experience in the past, and set goals that are just outside that reach.

Research may be required if this is your first time endeavoring on this goal. Although no two people are exactly alike, and you are not in competition with anyone, use the experience of others to help guide you in setting goals. You can make adjustments as you go along.

Realistic • Closely related to making goals attainable, is making sure that your goals are realistic. A goal of losing X number of lbs in one month may be attainable, but would it be a realistic goal for a person whose current monthly schedule includes starting a new job, cooking for her daughter's annual bake sale, and travelling two weekends this month? Realistic means that this goal fits you given your current circumstances. Raise your goal a bit higher if you know that your current circumstances are more favorable than they have been in the past, or lower them if you know that your current circumstances are less favorable.

Timely •   I've tried, I really have, and I believe, on some occasions, I have come incredibly close. But much like Mulder on the X-files, I have no actual proof (nor witnesses) of how close I've come to being able to stop time. 

Since we can't kill Father Time (or even put him into a deep coma), we have to deal with the fact that time marches on. We have to set time frames for our goals, otherwise, we'd never feel the impetus for working towards them and a year from now we'd roll over on the couch to find that we haven't accomplished anything.

The key is giving yourself a window of time that is (you guessed it) measureable, attainable, and realistic. Pick time frames that can be broken down into smaller segments, understanding that you may make more advancement towards your goals during one segment, and less during another. The smaller time frames are in place to help keep you on track as you move towards your goal. Think of a train conductor who has to travel from NYC to LA. He makes multiple stops along the way, noting the time as he pulls into each station. When the station manager in LA calls to find out if the train is going to be on time, the conductor can confidently give him an ETA  ”even if it is not the same as the one that had been published on the train schedule. You want to be like that train conductor, knowing where you are, how far you've gotten, and how much there is left to go.

As you endeavor to write your own story of finding and maintaining a new you, set for yourself goals that are SMART.   You can be as successful as that business man who turns a profit at the end of the year, as the girl who scores a 750 on the SATs, or as the basketball player who makes it to the playoffs. The Happily Thinner After team is here cheer you on all along the way.

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