If you want to talk about your goals, chat with a friend, but if you want to achieve your goals, talk with a coach!
Wellness coaching is based on the premise that the coaching relationship plays an important role in moving people in the direction of their personal goals. Goal-setting in this framework is more than a homework assignment given by your coach. Collaborative goal-setting is a process and it involves connecting your goal to your values, strengths, and desire for change.
At Grit & Grace, all goals are SMART goals. The acronym S.M.A.R.T stands for goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-limited. Why? Because goals that are too broad, or not specific, or not really relevant to you are less likely to be obtainable. We all do better when the behavioral changes we want to achieve are aligned with where we are in our journey at the moment.
How do SMART goals work in coaching? Let’s look at this example:
“I will eat healthier” is not a goal that is specific enough. Neither is, “I will eat more vegetables.”
“I will add 2 servings of vegetables to every meal for the next 3 weeks” is specific. And it allows you to track and measure your progress simply by recording what you eat at each meal – a better way to work towards your vision of being healthier, losing weight or getting off medication.
Now we consider your reality and how feasible it is that you can achieve this goal. Do you have what you need to be successful? If fresh vegetables are not easily found in your area, or you won’t go to the grocery store often enough to get them, or you really hate vegetables, then the chances of you sticking with the plan are low, decreasing your motivation and confidence.
Goals also need to be relevant – to truly matter to you and be connected to your desire for change. Creating a veggie-eating plan might be very appealing if your doctor has said you can stop your diabetes medication if you lose 25 pounds.
You’ll also notice that we kept the goal short-term. This is so we can revise or adjust quickly to keep you motivated… 3 weeks sounds a whole lot more manageable than saying, “I will add 2 servings of vegetables to every meal until I lose all the weight.”
I know, change is hard. That’s why taking transformation goals to behavioral changes needs to be about transforming your values and desires into actions. Each SMART goal is a mini action plan. And each is an experiment that you can modify if one of the variables is not working for you or stops reflecting your situation.
I want you to be flexible, and focus on the learning process as much as on success. When we do goal setting think about specific areas of change and why this change is important to you now. We’ll also consider the steps you are willing to take, look for sources of support, think about potential roadblocks and solutions. And finally, determine how you will know that you are making progress.
Learning what works for you and what you value is the whole point of working with a life and wellness coach. Those answers bring you closer to the best version of yourself.
By now, you’re almost certainly thinking about how to construct your own SMART goals – and I’d love to hear them!
