ODYSSEY CONTINUED : SMART goals

My post this morning has to do with goals.  And what’s more, this post is cribbed directly off a newsletter I subscribe to.  Tom Venuto’s BURN THE FAT Fat Burning Tips E-zine : www.burnthefat.com.

‘They’ say – and I have always believed implicitly in this – that a goal is but a dream until it is written down. This post fits in nicely with my post of yesterday about New Year’s resolutions.

Whether we call them resolutions or goals, we surely all aspire to something in  this fresh New Year? It’s like a nice clean sheet; a new blank page in your new 2011 Journal – you do try to keep a journal do you not?!  You do at least try to keep a food log do you not?!  

I think I have mentioned before that some years ago I created an Excel workbook which enabled Weigh-Less members to record daily food intake and the various formulas would add up and track their daily progress. If any one part of the daily formula was exceeded, the figures would start showing in RED!!! If anyone is interested, I could try and dig it up again from the bowels of my computer! Back in about 2007, I sent out literally hundreds of copies of this spread-sheet. Each page also has space for remarks where you can record what a shit day you are having!

But, as usual, I digress ….. let me just get on with it and list what Venuto calls SMART as well as SMART-ER goals:

1. Specific. Set goals with clarity. Get clear. Get precise. Be specific. Your mind does not respond well to generalities.

2. Measurable. Set goals that can be quantified in  measurable units. Kg weight; body fat % (more about that soon); body measurements; clothing sizes.

3. Accountable. Set goals that you can be held accountable to.  Accountable to yourself with weekly progress charts; a daily nutrition diary/food log; and possibly a training journal. Double that accountability by submitting your results to a third party who can hold you accountable!

4. Realistic. Set goals that are attainable and maintainable. ,5kg a week FAT loss a week is attainable.  1Kg per week would be awesome and not quite so easy imho! I will talk about FAT loss in future posts. I am NO expert but have been reading up about it.

5. Time bound. Set goals with deadlines. With no time limit, there is no urgency for completion. Set weekly goals for nutrition and workouts (!); weekly weight and body composition; then look ahead and check quarterly progress. Set long term goals.

Now for the ER part.

6. Emotional. Goals give direction but strong emotions are the propulsion system that drives you in the desired direction. Connect your goals to your values. What’s most important to you about reaching your goals? What will reaching your goals do for you? What will your life be like then? How will reaching your goals make you FEEL?

7. Review often. Stay laser-focused by writing and reading your goals every day. Repetition is one of the keys to re-programming your mental computer for success.

Of course, I have to add my own little rider to this – also adapted from Tom Venuto’s words –

Work HARD at achieving your goals and EXPECT success!!

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We are goofing off today with our family on one of our ‘most-est’ favourite jaunts – a trip down to Simonstown  – replete with cat box in the boot.  Love that historic place. Now (sorta!)  settled in our new home, I am  ready to rescue a kitten from TEARS – though I greatly fear it may turn out to be two kitties from TEARS as all three of our grandchildren want to be part of the process.  At R450 each, they are not cheap rescues either! But of course we  understand and accept that it is more about donating to an incredible organisation rather than the cost of a kitten per se.

Have a great day everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Odyssey : health & wellness journey resumed …….

So many of us are adamant that we do not make New Year’s Resolutions.  Maybe that’s because we have always realised that by the second week every January all those fine intentions had gone by the board.

Having had the immense pleasure and privilege of having all the Gauteng & KZN Janekes who are presently in Cape Town at my home yesterday, it was a good time to ask about New Year’s Resolutions.  As I expected no-one admitted to having any at all but we did all agree that we sure hope 2011 turns out to be a better year than 2010!

2010 for me was a disaster. Full stop. Yes, for sure, there were some highlights but in my mind those highs  are completely overshadowed by difficulties & challenges in every single area of my life. I am not dwelling on what is past but it is helpful to me to just write down what happened and then to seal it off and continue on the Odyssey.

In the latter half of the year, crucial  health matters took a back seat while business challenges just escalated unbelievably and unexpectedly.  Fortunately the issues do not entail loss of business income but rather difficulties with backlogged work; hardware and software hassles; re-location of home/home-based business  (>200 boxes!! – ); ADSL line and network challenges;  sooper-dooper new software with all the bells and whistles being too advanced for many of my clients’ computer systems to read; the departure of a highly valued essential employee;  all of which have increased the original backlog..  This boring list could go on and and on but I will spare you……..

For me, New Year is definitely a time reflect on what I want – no WILL – achieve in the coming year. Bottom-line,  it’s actually really simple to define BUT very, very difficult to achieve:

1 Resume the Odyssey

2. Sort out business challenges.

Paying attention to health matters and resolving work issues  will free up some ME TIME! Great heavens how I long for ME TIME! ME TIME on a regular basis that is. Not just snatched time while feeling guilty about being away from my computers.

So dear readers, what are your resolutions for 2011? I’d love to hear about them!