As a reminder, the following are the 5 components of a SMART Goal:
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Specific
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Measurable
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Attainable
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Relevant
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Timebound
When setting a SMART Goal, it can help to utilize the 5 “W’s”. The 5 “W’s” are questions that start with who, what, when, where, and why. These questions can help you to gather the information necessary to set a great SMART Goal.
Remember our friend Cathy from our previous article titled, "Finding Your Why"? She went through the process of finding her “why” when she was motivated to lose weight. Let’s work with her to create a SMART Goal. We’ll start by going through a few 5 “W” questions to gather some more information.
Who: Who will be impacted by this goal? Cathy will be impacted as she will need to make lifestyle changes.
What: What will Cathy do to lose weight? She will begin following one of the balanced plate principles by making sure half her plate is fruits or vegetables during at least two of her meals every day.
When: When does Cathy want to lose weight by? Cathy would like to lose weight in 6 months.
Where: Where will Cathy need to go to lose weight? This question isn’t necessary for this particular goal and that’s okay, sometimes that will happen!
Why: Remember Cathy already identified her why a few weeks ago- so that she can fit into a dress that has sentimental meaning for her daughter’s wedding.
Check out part 2 of this article where we'll work on taking the information from our 5 "W" questions and utilizing it to create a SMART Goal.