How to Compose a SMART Goal to Increase Your Results

If any of y'all are like me and starting off with your workout program, you should have a goal or two. Or twenty. Or thousands. But a goal is just a dream without one criteria: it must be SMART. As in:

* Specific

* Measurable

* Attainable

* Relevant

* Timely

But you can also have SMARTER goals which are even more successful:

* Evaluate

* Re-Evaluate

"We need to make more oil and our goal is to make more oil for less money." You'll see how this is not smart goal. Similar to YOU claiming,

"I'm going to lose weight"

A fair idea, a nice dream, maybe something to put on your dream board, but not a fair goal. Let's take a look at why.

SPECIFIC

Look at it this way, if something is specific, then someone can't ask for clarification. If you were to tell anyone your goal, no one would want additional information to find out exactly what you were trying to do. Oh? Do you feel "losing weight" is good enough? 

Think about these bullet points:

* How about if you're given a pill that made you lose 20 pounds by dehydrating you and causing diarrhea?

* You know, your leg weighs a lot. In fact, I bet we could amputate both for a NICE weight loss.

* Muscle is heavier than fat, right? So just don't do anything for a long time and lose your muscle. Done.

* For only $100,000 I can surgically remove that pesky fat of yours...

I have a good feeling you did not mean losing weight like the ways listed above. You likely meant that you want to lose fat through a natural caloric deficit. That is much more specific. Let's amend our original statement:

"I'm going to lose fat through a natural caloric deficit"

MEASURABLE

If we attempt to make a nice goal, we might get as far as this one, especially when it comes to fitness. "I want to lose 20 pounds." These statements are all over the place Although we've already found out that that's not specific enough, let's modify our specific goal to bring in something measurable. And no, stating "I want to lose fat until I look like [insert movie star]!" doesn't count as a measurable goal. If you show me how you would measure that an I'll tell you it's OK then.

"I'm going to lose 20 pounds of fat through a natural caloric deficit"

ATTAINABLE

OK, let's be frank. If you are 110 pounds and 5'8", you don't likely have 20 pounds of fat to lose. If you have dress you're trying to fit into for a party this weekend, 20 pounds of fat loss is also not attainable (however, if you do, patent your strategy NOW because you're about to get rich). Make sure your goal is even possible. That's fine if it's a long shot, that's fine if you're raising the bar and "shooting for the stars." But it does you no good to make a goal that you can in no way even possibly meet. You're out to fail from the got go. Make it a stretch goal, but not a cut-yourself-in-two goal.

For this one, we'll pretend I'm a 180 pound female attempting to lose this 20 pounds over four months. That's attainable.

RELEVANT

What if someone asked you, "What do you have as a goal for today?" and you answered, "I'm going to lose 20 pounds of fat through a natural caloric deficit over the next two months." Well that's good, but how is that relevant to today? We're talking about today. Or what your goal was to lose fat but you declared it like this: "I'm going to lose 20 pounds of fat through a natural caloric deficit, drink 8 glasses of water each day, and watch the entire series of True Blood." Wait a second...how in the world does True Blood have in common with your weight loss? And is the water volume for health reasons or to help you lose weight? Be certain everything in your goal is relevant to your single desired outcome.

TIMELY

Our last addition to our goal is to put a time limit on it. Losing 20 pounds over four weeks or twenty years makes for two entirely different goals. And if you don't put a time limit on it, how will you know the amount of effort you need? How will you write down how frequently you need to exercise, how much of a deficit you should have, or if you have have that birthday cake or not? You need to define what your time range is. If you just leave it to "Oh, I'll be happy with any progress in that direction" then YES, you will be settling with "good enough." DON'T DO IT! You are better than that.

"I'm going to lose 20 pounds of fat through a natural caloric deficit over three months"

EVALUATE & RE-EVALUATE

Fantastic. Good for you for getting this far. You've developed your SMART goal, you've written it in your journal and underlined in red. But now it's half-way through your time period and you're not even close to where you need to be. This is when you evaluate your goals and make modifications where you need to. If your goal is no longer attainable, change it. Nothing saying you can't change a goal. You should change what you're doing also, but change it to make it real. Also, if a goal is no longer relevant, take note and either change or remove that goal. No need to have a false failure over your head. Life changes. It happens. Evaluate and re-evaluate through the entire process. Look at it weekly, or even daily, if you goal is short term enough to require a daily review. Just keep your goals current.

OK, now you have the tools. GO MAKE THOSE GOALS AND MAKE 'EM SMART ONES! ENJOY!

If you want to dive deep then I recommend the highly rated SMART Goals Made Simple by SJ Scott. Click the link below to find out more. 

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Meghan Trainor: All About That Change

What are your big changes for this year? Comment below...

35 Common Sense Ingredients For Successful New Years Resolutions!

There is no magic pill for making and keeping New Year resolutions. A wish written on the back of a cocktail napkin at the stroke of midnight on December 31 does not automatically come true. It takes hard work, sacrifice, clarity of thought, and a realistic, written plan, to succeed. If you truly want to make and keep a New Year resolution, fulfill a dream, or achieve a daily goal - tackle the challenge, one step at a time, one day at a time. Banish the 'Someday, Someday, Someday Syndrome.' Instead make every day, New Year's Day. Make every day day count in the coming year.

Rather than growing frustrated and depressed over that same tired list of resolutions - the one that you ignored last January - dare to be different. Try something new. Think outside the box. Don't be afraid to color outside the lines. During the next 12 months, pursue just one dream that inspires passion, interest and desire. Make your dream achievable with careful forethought. Define your dream with a simple, one-sentence resolution that outlines the 'who, what, when, where, why, and how'. Then make that dream and resolution a reality with a plan that consists of small steps that you can take take one at a time, one day at a time over the course of a year. But don't overwhelm yourself by thinking that you have to complete all of your daily goals 'today'. Start small. First, focus on today's goal(s) and the week ahead. As you gain momentum, the plotting, planning, and achieving gets easier and easier to manage.

Over the years, this simple, common sense strategy has enabled me achieve a wide array of dreams - both large and small - including my commitment to exercise, health and fitness; and my determination to stop smoking, earn college degrees, buy a home, master photography, show gratitude, and write daily . . . to name a few of the priorities on my 'Lifetime Resolution List' (the resolutions that I make and keep, permanently). If you are ready to consider the next steps in crafting a resolution that fits you and your lifestyle, keep these common sense tips in mind:

STEP ONE: Create A Lifetime Resolution List, All The Things You Would Love To Do & Achieve!

1. Choose the right resolution, something you truly want to 'do' every day.
2. Choose a resolution that is important to you.
3. Choose a resolution about which you are passionate and interested.
4. Choose a resolution to which you can commit yourself 100%.
5. Choose a resolution that can become a lifetime habit, or an on-going source of achievement, reward and joy.

STEP TWO: Question your motivation and desire.

1. Analyze: Ask yourself "Why this resolution"?
2. Analyze: Ask yourself, "Is this resolution 'realistic"?
3. Analyze: Ask yourself, "Will I enjoy pursuing this resolution each day"?
4. Analyze: Ask yourself, "Can I visualize this resolution, see it in my mind's eye, and picture myself doing it every day"?

STEP THREE: Adopt a simple system of resolution-setting and resolution-keeping.

1. Dare To Dream: Open your mind to all the wonderful possibilities - 'Yes' you can achieve your chosen resolution if you believe in yourself, your gifts and talents.
2. Decide: Resolve to pursue your resolution with commitment and great determination.
3. Define: In one sentence, outline the 'who, what, when, where, why, and how' of your resolution.
4. Do Your Homework And Research: Identify the necessary tasks and goals to get your started.
5. Develop A. Plan: Determine the large, long-range steps, and break them into small daily tasks; revise your plan as you learn and grow.
6. Do It Daily: Pursue at least one small step/goal each and every day, according to a timeline and deadlines.
7. Do A 'Daily Resolution Diary': Write it down.
8. Do Daily And Weekly 'Check-Ins': Chart progress, identify obstacles, make course corrections, and reward yourself for accomplishments.

STEP FOUR: Identify landmines and defuse them.

1. Don't Procrastinate: Banish the 'Someday, Someday, Someday Syndrome'.
2. Don't Give In To Fear Of Success, Or Fear Of Failure: Face challenges with courage, let go of the past, learn from your mistakes, and move forward into your future.
3. Don't Get Overwhelmed, Or Discouraged: Be focused, but flexible; and follow your plan, but be willing to make revisions.
4. Don't Grow Bored, Weary, Or Burned Out: Seek variety in your goals and pace yourself
5. Don't Give Up: Take a break!

STEP FIVE: Case a wide net - identify and use a wide array of tools to succeed.

1. Hold yourself accountable with your journal, by asking friends and family to offer reminders, and joining a blogging community.
2. Enlist a 'Resolution Partner' to join you in your journey, lend support and ideas, and share the fun.
3. Find a mentor to offer advice and inspiration.
4. Join a class, or club, to increase your knowledge and skill level within an organized structure.
5. Seek daily support from your family.
6. Open your eyes: Accept inspiration from the ordinary and extraordinary in your world.
7. Believe in yourself and your resolution throughout the ups and downs.
8. Be organized, disciplined, committed, passionate, and motivated by your victories.
9. Don't replace your dreams with regret - instead, 'Go For It'!
10. Don't set the bar too high - instead, give yourself time to learn how to soar over it.
11. Challenge yourself, but be realistic about your daily, weekly and monthly expectations.
12. Celebrate your successes and reward yourself often!
13. Always Remember: Success breeds success; each success builds on another, like a stairway to the stars!

This is just a snapshot of the many ingredients that are necessary to make and keep a New Year Resolution. Bottom line: All the books, videos, systems, blogs, and advice in the world can't generate results 'for you' - they are simply tools. If you truly want to achieve a dream, change something about yourself, create a new habit - it is entirely up to you to make it happen with ingenuity, hard work and sacrifice. It is your choice. It is up to you. Only 'you' can make your resolution a reality...but the joy and reward you will find along the way will make the journey worth it!

Remember: I Resolve To...Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year. It's your choice. Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps: Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good! Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey! Let's Go For It!

Kim Simpson, a former journalist, provides communications, fundraising services and strategic planning, for Members of Congress, non-profit organizations, corporations, and associations in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. A self-employed entrepreneur, with more than 30 years of experience, she launched IResolveTo.Com in 2005 in an effort to help others to achieve their New Year Resolutions, Dreams and Goals. Her motto is: I Resolve To . . . Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.™ Let's 'Go For It'.

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Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway

Feeling fear whenever you are thrusting yourself outside your comfort zone is a natural response. The challenge is to know when fear is justified and a reason to stop or when fear is just a normal part of the success journey and an opportunity for you to use the fear to sharpen your senses, where you confront the fear and go ahead anyway.

When fear is justified, for example where you may be entering into a contractual agreement with someone that is less than trustworthy, it is crucial to listen to your inner voice and to use the fear you feel to protect yourself. On the other hand, any time you thrust yourself into unchartered territory, where you are pushed outside your self-imposed comfort zone, you will feel fear too. The challenge is to know when fear is real and justified and when it is just your natural desire to seek comfort and avoid pain.

Achievers have mastered this art and they very quickly identify whether fear is justified or whether it is just a normal fear that they are feeling because they are taking a calculated risk and are pushing the boundaries of their comfort zone. You need to invest time to develop this art, where you can very quickly tell if fear is justified or whether it is just your natural aversion to inviting some risk into your life. Feeling fear is a natural protection mechanism that is built into your brain to protect you from any pending danger.

The way to enter the realm of achievement is to very quickly know whether fear is justified or not and to confront your fear, where you feel the fear and go ahead anyway or when to realise that your fear is real and you must take action to avoid the danger. You can never get rid of your fear, but you can learn the art of confronting your fear and using it to your advantage.

For example:

• Your fear of ignorance can be used to generate inspiration to constantly grow your knowledge.
• Your fear of poverty can be used to inspire you to work a little harder.
• Your fear of disease can inspire you to take better care of your body.
• The fear of losing your family can inspire you to remain faithful, work a little harder and show them love as often as possible.

The secret to becoming and remaining an achiever is to learn the art of quickly identifying the difference between harmful or justified fear or helpful fear or unjustified fear. As soon as you make the shift toward understanding how to use fear to your advantage you turn something that can be very limiting and restrictive into an asset that you can use to create massive success in your life.

Once you have learnt the art of knowing when fear is real and justified or when it is just a natural response to your attachment to stability, it is time to introduce the art of daily discipline into your life. As Roy L Smith said "Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability." Daily discipline is the key to unlock your potential and to turn you into a high performance human being, who operates at levels of super achievement.

Positive self-discipline, where you commit to carry out all the tasks you need to each day, puts you firmly in the driver's seat and over time, these consistent efforts will turn into the success you desire. Yes success does require a commitment to daily discipline and an investment of some of your valuable time, which will cost you something small each day. Failure on the other hand requires nothing from you each day, but the price you will pay in the long run will be massive. What choice do you want to make with your future?

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Life Lessons From 100-Year-Olds

This is one of the most wisdom filled and heart warming things I have seen.

One of my favourite quotes from the video :

"I don' have any failures. If I'm making a cake and it fails, it becomes a pudding." 

What's yours?

Gift Ideas That Can Change Someone's Life - Part 2

So what are the gifts that keep on giving, but can also change someone's life?

In my view they are gifts that help to change a person, make their life easier on a day to day basis and provide an ongoing utility and appreciation long after they have been received. 

To that end, here are some of my favourites that I can say, have really enhanced my life and while some of them I have had for over a decade, I still appreciate them and what they have done for me over that time. 

1. A Good Multitool

I'm really not sure if this is a guy thing, however, I have rarely met another guy who hasn't appreciated the value of a good quality multi-tool. I got my first multitool over 20 years ago and I remember feeling like MacGyver. Every time I used the tool, I could appreciate the quality and the utility, and I did get it to do some tough jobs over the years. In the spirit of the gift that keeps on giving, I eventually handed it down to my nephew, who still uses it on almost a daily basis. The secret to the longevity is quality and my personal recommendation is the Leatherman Supertool, which is a full size tool. I have had the every day carry tools like the wave, but not found them as good on heavier duty jobs, but the Supertool has served and delivered on every kind of job.  

Click on the image for more details: 

2. A Useful Skill

Sometimes the limiting factor in our productivity is our limitation in a particular skill. Once case in point is the ability to touch type. With computers being so ubiquitous in this day and age, taking processing power out of the equation, the biggest limitation, particularly if you need to write a lot (like emails, reports, articles, assignments and so on) is your word output on the keyboard. According to David Allen, the author of Getting Things Done, something magical happened to his productivity once he had learned to touch type at 50 words per minute, and I have to agree. My only regret is that I didn't learn this skill sooner than I did, but it has been the skill that has allowed me to double my productive output when sat at a computer for many years now. The great thing is that you can learn to touch type for free, but it does take a bit of scheduling and consistent practice. If you get a study buddy and do this together you are more likely to stick at it until you get to 50 words a minute. 

If you want to learn more about David Allen and his revolutionary approach to productivity you can click on the image below. 

Click on the image to learn more:

3. A Life Changing Event

Many of us go through life quietly suffering, with an undefined feeling of dissatisfaction, which we often cannot express. We just get on with it, however we don't know if there is anything we can do about our current circumstances and we resign ourselves into accepting that life is just the way it is. 

Then by some random happenstance we come across something which we are not too sure about, sounds too good to be true and we let the opportunity go by. But then something can pique our curiosity and we look into it further. We decide we will keep an open mind and find out for ourselves, and we then make a commitment. We attend and our life is never the same again. 

Unleash the Power Within is an event just like that. 

The first Time I attended a Tony Robbins event, there were many things that I just was dumbfounded by, even before the event got going. The first was the sheer number of people in attendance. It was held in London in a large conference centre and the place was packed out. The other thing that I was amazed about was just how far people had travelled to get there. People from all around the world (including Australia) had travelled specifically to attend this 4 day event and may were on a multiple visit. 

All I can say is I that I remember coming out of the event changed in such a profound way. I know that even some of the more skeptical people that I met there were blown away and said to me afterwards that it was so worth it. 

If you want to learn more about this event, click on the image below, however, if you are serious about either helping yourself or someone you care about, having the best year of their lives, then you should check out just how many tickets are actually left for this event. 

I hope that you have some positive inspiration from these about articles about finding gifts that will actually help make a positive change to your loved ones (or even your own) lives. 

Gift Ideas That Can Change Someone's Life - Part 1

I am a simple person. I know what is important to me and I don't like to waste money unnecessarily. So when it comes to thinking about getting gifts for people, I really like to try and get something which will have real value and appreciation.

When it comes to my second daughter its really easy. Technology, and anything that she thinks will make her more popular. However, my eldest daughter is much less shallow and she would rather have things that matter to her or make a difference to her life. Whether this is a book, lessons for something, or something that is going to improve the quality of her life and self understanding.

In this post I'm going to make some suggestions for gifts that may actually change someone's life or add value beyond the price of the gift.

1. Books

Books expand your mind, open you up to new ideas and give you a chance to exercise your mind. A mind expanded by a new idea can never go back to its original dimensions.

A great book that I can recommend which is timeless in its message and wisdom is Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It's quite an old school book, however when it comes to a sustainable approach to improving your life so that it is more meaningful, purposeful and driven by your values, then I can't recommend a better book.

Click on the image to learn more:

2. Magazine Subscriptions

A magazine subscription for the right magazine can be life changing. It will allow you to keep completely up to date with any area that you have an interest in and is usually written by experts in the field. The great thing about Subscriptions these days is that you can get the latest edition delivered directly to your mobile device. If you know someone who is wanting to have more self awareness, or just generally interested in self improvement then Psychologies. It's a magazine that is primarily targeted at women, but I find it incredibly fascinating myself.

Click on the image to learn more:

3. A Really Nice Notebook

Anyone that has ever taken any serious time out to write down their thoughts, capture ideas, create their plans and set their life goals will always appreciate a good quality notebook for this purpose. The benchmark in quality is Moleskine, and if you have ever had the pleasure to use a Moleskine you will know exactly what the fuss is all about. The covers are tactile and feel great in the hand and the paper quality makes these a joy to write on. There is also a wide range of specification so you can get something that really suits the personality of the person you are buying for.

Below is one of my favourites. I prefer A5 size myself as I find them easy to carry around with me and jot down things in random ad hoc locations.

Click on the image to learn more:

4. A Really Nice Pen

Pens are also another personal gift that can change someone's pleasure and value in life. Especially if they have that special pen that they use for special occasions. It is critical that you get a pen that gives you a sense of ceremony when it is used as a pen is a tool of record for what is occurring in our mind. I personally use a Montblanc Starwalker which I use specifically to write down my goals, my deepest reflections and insights. 

Click on the image to learn more:

5. A Sleep Tracker And Wake Up Light

Nothing beats a good night's sleep and if you are anything like me, you really hate the winter for the lack of daylight. A good night's sleep though is energising, and when you are well rested, you have greater will power, optimism and are generally happier, more focused and productive. 

To that end a sleep monitor, sleep tracker and wake up alarm is a great life enhancing piece of technology that will empower and support you to get a good night's rest and a solid start to the day. I personally use the Withings Aura along with the Health Mate App to track my sleep, weight and movement. The alarm goes off during a window of time and the sensor tracks when that optimal moment is to wake you so that you wake feeling rested and refreshed. This is a grate gift at this time of year as we move into the shortest days of the year.

Click on the image to learn more:

In part 2, I will be looking at gifts that will just keep on giving with a similar life changing theme.