S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting (How to set achievable goals)

Setting goals seems like a mundane task; achieving goals is often the difficult part.  There is, however, a science to goal setting that makes the achievement of goals much more simplistic.  The answer is S.M.A.R.T. goal setting. 

The acronym ”SMART” stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time Bound.  If you take the time to set your goals in this manner, you’ll quickly see the faults in attempting to set a goal in any other way.  In fact, you’ll notice that if you leave out even one of the above standards, you aren’t actually setting goals at all.

The goal-setting process is collective.  In other words, you have to create a goal that simultaneously works within all of the SMART confines.  You may think a goal is Attainable, but the Time-Binding factor makes it unRealistic.  Trust me, the sentence you just read will make sense after you’ve finished reading this post.   

Think of a goal you have for yourself and write it down. 

Here’s one if you’re stumped: “I want to lose weight.”  I hear this “goal” all the time.  As we’re about to see, this is not a goal at all, and it will never get accomplished.  How would you even know if you’ve achieved your goal?

Now, let’s see if your goal meets each of the following standards:

Specific–Goals must be specific.  General goals are a setup for failure.  “Losing weight” is not specific.  “Losing 10 pounds” is specific enough.

Measurable–A lot of your motivation and determination will come from experiencing smaller successes during your journey to your ultimate goal.  If your goal has to do with weight loss, every pound is a measurable metric.  You should re-tailor your goal to have an aspect that’s measurable. 

Attainable–Know your limitations and set a goal that’s within reach.  You can always set additional goals once you’ve reached your original goal.  Again, success breeds motivation.  Don’t sell yourself short though, you will find that if your goal fulfills the SMART criteria you will grow and expand to reach your goals. 

Realistic–Your goal must represent an objective towards which you are both willing and able to work.  Make sure that every goal represents substantial progress.  If you truly believe it is possible, it’s probably a realistic goal. 

Time Bound–You must set a time frame in which to accomplish your goal.  The time component is closely tied to the measurability, attainability, and realistic nature of your goal.

So now go back and take a look at your original goal.  Let’s fix it up a bit. 

We originally had the goal “to lose weight.” 

Here’s a few versions to toy with:

“I want to lose 100 pounds.” 
“I want to lose 25 pounds by this weekend.”
“I want to lose 15 pounds and eat all of the chocolate that I want.”

Clearly these are all flawed.

Now try this:

“I want to lose one pound a week for the next 10 weeks.”

This goal is much better than any of the other “goals”.  It almost makes the goal seem easy to accomplish.  That’s because you can envision the steps in your mind.  Our original, non-SMART goal of “losing weight” creates no clear path for our mind to embrace. 

Now you can break the big task into much smaller tasks.  You can focus on losing one pound every week.  That certainly doesn’t seem very difficult. 

SMART goal setting is a powerful tool that is easy to learn and put into practice.  Good Luck!  

CLIF Sponsors Beacon Hill Triathlon

The Beacon Hill Triathlon is excited to announce its newest sponsor.  CLIF will provide pre-, post-, and in-race nutrition to Beacon Hill Triathlon participants and spectators.  We’ve currently been supplied with three products:

CLIF BAR

Here’s an excerpt from clifbar.com: 

“We want a simple approach in an energy bar—not complicated formulas or gimmicks. Don’t you? It’s just an approach that makes sense.CLIF BARS are a great-tasting, convenient source of energy for any activity.

The Natural Energy Bar®
To perform at your best, the last thing you want to put in your body is a synthetic product.

That’s why we believe in using healthy ingredients, such as organic rolled oats, organic roasted soybeans, organic milled flaxseed and organic soy flour. All 16 CLIF BAR flavors are made with 70% organic ingredients. It’s your body, you decide™.

Nutrition for Sustained Energy®
With a mix of carbohydrates, protein, and fiber, CLIF BAR is a moderate glycemic index food. What does this mean? Basically, you’ll benefit from a steady increase in blood sugar levels followed by a gradual decline (sustained energy!).Know what that means? You keep going.Eat a CLIF BAR 1 – 2 hours before a workout or race, and you’ll avoid the sugar high and crash associated with refined ingredients and sweeteners. A CLIF BAR delivers the boost you need without unwanted crash and burn.You don’t have to be an athlete to enjoy a CLIF BAR, but with the extra energy a CLIF BAR provides you may find it hard not to be.”

We were sent two great flavors, Chocolate Brownie and Crunchy Peanut Butter:

CLIF SHOT BLOKS

“CLIF SHOT® Bloks™ Chews—The Latest Energy Food Option for Endurance Athletes™Variety is the spice of life—we couldn’t agree more. We understand (’cause we’ve been there) that after numerous hours of training and racing, the body needs to mix it up a little in terms of what goes in the tank. That’s why we set out to create another energy food option that would complement our bars and gels. The result is CLIF SHOT® Bloks™ chews. They’re simple-to-handle, easy-to-chew, and provide similar nutrition to SHOT® gel, so they’ll fit seamlessly into your training and racing nutrition program.

Nutrition – Carbohydrates and ElectrolytesSHOT® Bloks™ chews offer very similar nutrition to SHOT Energy Gel. The primary ingredient for both is brown rice syrup which provides easily assimilated carbohydrates for working muscles. Both products also provide the mineral salts known as electrolytes. These electrolytes allow electrical impulses to travel properly throughout your body, permitting normal bodily function. When you sweat, you start to deplete your electrolyte stores and experience potential performance decline, so it’s best to help replenish them through food and fluid intake. One of our newest flavors, Margarita w/Salt, provides 210 mg of sodium which is 3 times the amount in other flavors. Sodium is the key electrolyte lost in sweat. Lose too much and performance declines dramatically, including a higher likelihood of muscle cramping. For hot days or for those that perspire excessively Margarita w/Salt is the way to go.

Form and Function We created SHOT® Bloks™ chews, each in a 10g size, so that 3 chews provide 100 calories. That makes it easy to track caloric intake during long outings. There are 6 chews to a double-serve package, so one package provides 200 calories.Organic IngredientsCLIF SHOT® BLOKS™ chews are the first product in the SHOT® line to be USDA certified organic, which means that each flavor contains a minimum of 95% Organic ingredients. We strive to use the most sustainable ingredients possible in our products. The environmental benefits of buying organic ingredients for our products have a direct positive impact on the air and water quality on this planet. CLIF SHOT® BLOKS™ chews are USDA certified organic by Quality Assurance International (QAI).”

We have the caffeinated Black Cherry flavor:

Z BAR

“Raising healthy and active children these days is not easy. We thought it was time for kids to have their very own CLIF Bar to encourage lots of play and healthy eating. It’s an organic baked whole grain energy bar filled with the nutrients that growing bodies need, WITHOUT unnecessary fat and sugar. And it’s from CLIF Bar, where we’ve always been about nourishing healthy people with great food.”

Everybody loved these new ZBars.  We handed them out after our June 2007 race and people were eating them and coming back for more. 

It’s a privilege to be associated with a company that shares our passion for physical fitness, community involvement, and environmental responsibility.  Thank you CLIF!

Cytomax Sport Energy Drink

Cytomax Sport Energy Drink can be used before, during, and after your race or workout.  Here’s some info directly from their website:

Cytomax® Sport Energy Drink: The Original

The sport drink the pros have used for more than sixteen years. Studies show that after three hours of intense exercise, athletes drinking Cytomax perform better, lactic acid levels are lower, reducing cramping and post-workout soreness, and promoting re-hydration, strength and improved endurance. Cytomax is made with a unique blend of PolyLactate, other complex carbohydrates, and electrolytes for an optimal energy supply. Compared to any other nutrient supplement available, patented PolyLactate delivers energy faster, fuels the body more optimally, and better protects it from acid build up.

Benefits of using Cytomax® Sport Energy Drink

Beats the Burn: Cytomax’s patented PolyLactate buffers lactic acid production in your muscles, reducing the “burn” during intense training and minimizing post-exercise muscle soreness.

Steady Energy: Complex carbs stabilize blood sugar during exercise—no sugar crash.

Cell Protection: Antioxidants prevent exercise-induced free radical damage to muscle cells.

Oxygen Delivery: Succinates enhance oxygen delivery by up to 11% during exercise, reducing perceived exertion and minimizing muscle damage.

Cellular Balance: Electrolytes ensure cellular nutrient balance is restored quickly after exercise.

Optimal Osmoality: rapid gastric emptying

Natural Herbal “Lift”: (in Tangy Orange, Go Grape and Peachy Keen flavors only) reduces your perceived effort so you can push harder.

Best ways to use Cytomax® Sport Energy Drink

Before: Begin using Cytomax 15 minutes before training for quick, effective hydration and lactic acid buffering. Cytomax ensures optimum levels of performance.

During: Drink Cytomax continually during exercise (32 fl-oz./hour) to ensure proper hydration and optimum levels of performance.

After: Continue drinking Cytomax immediately post training to ensure glycogen restoration, electrolyte balance and to greatly reduce post exercise cramping.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Cytomax Sponsors Beacon Hill Triathlon

 

Cytomax is the official fluid sponsor of the Beacon Hill Triathlon.  Participants in the Beacon Hill Triathlon will now enjoy Cytomax Sport Energy Drink in Cool Citrus and Tangy Orange.  It will be available in the transition area and at every aid station.  Also, we will happily fill your water bottles with Cytomax at any time before, during, or after the race.    

We are thrilled that such a high-quality brand wishes to be associated with our community event. 

Please stop by the transition area to pick up a sample packet and a product brochure that describes the uses and benefits of Cytomax.