Especially in the beginning of the year, we hear from people coming into ProActive Physical Therapy and Wellness that they have exciting goals for the new year but don’t know where to start in achieving them …

How many times have you made a New Year’s Resolution, feltl like you started off strong the first week and then “life gets in the way” so your goals you set start to slowly slip away?

Frustration starts to set in. You continue to push it back and say to yourself, “I’ll start back up next week..” 

Whether you are a fitness enthusiast, or this is the first time you’re making your health and wellness your priority… 

Setting a S.M.A.R.T. goal is arguably one of the most important steps in developing and executing a plan for you to feel like and become your best self.

ProActive Physical Therapy and Wellness wants to see you succeed so here is what you need to know about setting S.M.A.R.T. goals for your health journey so you stay focused, motivated and begin feeling your best and living your best:

What Are S.M.A.R.T Goals?

SPECIFIC

Eating healthier or choosing to walk sounds like a good idea. But what do those really mean for you? When creating goals, aim for something specific such as eliminating sodas, drinking 5 bottles of water everyday or walking at least 5 miles a week around the neighborhood. Instead of just thinking you accomplished something that day, once you’ve achieved that specific goal, you KNOW you succeeded!   

MEASURABLE

Making your goals something you can actually measure and track is incredibly helpful in achieving your desired goals. For example, as mentioned above, if your goal is to walk 5 miles a week around the neighborhood, you can easily measure your distance traveled whether it’s via GPS, pedometer or on a track. A goal of walking more isn’t easily measured nor is it as satisfying as being able to say exactly what you accomplished.

ATTAINABLE

Try to avoid aiming too high as well as too low.  It can be helpful to set large “big picture” goals but you need more achievable goals to help keep you on the right track.  Starting small and getting early wins sets the tone for the long term goals and keeps you consistent and encouraged. 

RELEVANT

Relevant goals are those that pertain to you and are specifically tailored toward your life, your health and your needs.

You’re essentially asking yourself, “Why am I even doing this?”

For example, if you feel like you’ve lost a step and can’t go on long hikes with your spouse like you used to… Setting a weekly aerobic exercise like 5 miles a week is a wonderful step forward to get you back on the trails!

Your goals should be relevant to your health and your overall interests.

TIMELY

There isn’t an absolute rule when it comes to setting a time frame on your goals because everyone is on a different journey. However, setting a deadline for your goal creates a sense of urgency. 

The timeline you select for your goal will directly affect how attainable your goals are. You don’t want to leave the time frame so open-ended that you never start or never finish your original goal.

If you have no sense of urgency or deadlines for your goals, it is far too easy to just “start next week” and continue procrastinating. Without setting a reasonable timeline for achieving your goals, you’re only setting yourself up for failure.

Here’s The Your Take Away

Everyone’s health and overall wellness is a never-ending journey.

Whether you’re just getting started in becoming more active and healthy or you’re wanting to take your well-established routine to the next level, S.M.A.R.T. goals are an absolute must.

As you begin your health journey, you’re going to reach a goal. That’s when you reassess what you want moving forward, set a new S.M.A.R.T. goal and start striving for that!

Now that you understand what a S.M.A.R.T. goal is, take a moment to reflect on where you are in your health journey and where you want to be in the next 4 weeks, 6 months, 1 year and beyond. From there, set your first month S.M.A.R.T. goal and get going!

LISTEN BELOW from our Movement Specialist, Matt, as he discusses how he views setting realistic goals and how he can help you get started!

What Do I Do If I’m Struggling With Staying Active?

Would You Like To See A Physical Therapist For Free?

We realize some people want more than just some free health tips… That’s why we offer expert advice about the worry and frustration of life changes  – for FREE, in under 45 minutes. 

We call this a Discovery Visit.

Here are just a few of the things you will learn in one of our free Discovery Visit sessions… 

Our Discovery Visits are great for anyone that may be “unsure” if physical therapy is right for them, and they give you the opportunity to ask questions and see for yourself if we can help you.   

We’ve got 4 Discovery Visits available this week. If you would like one of our Discovery Visits, please get in touch with the clinic using the contact details included below, and mention to our ProActive who answers the phone that you would like to see a physical therapist for free.  

We’re Here To Help…   

If you’re ready to move forward and would like to talk to us about getting some help, or some specialist advice, remember we are always here to help you…. and we’re offering you the chance to have your first session with a physical therapist for FREE.  

If you would like to get one of our limited Discovery Visit slots, please click here to complete our inquiry form or CALL us on 502.512.2165    

P.S. Do you know someone with aches and pains and they’re not sure why or where it’s coming from?    

Who do you know that is always telling you about their aches and pains? We would love to help them live a pain-free life too.     

That person could be someone who you live with, work with, or an extended friend or family member, who is maybe suffering with some kind of ache or pain that we can fix.