Goal Setting and Motivation As I write this in my office in Henley Beach, South Australia, the winter month is upon us and for many people this can lead to a decline in motivation . So once again you may live in the Northern Hemisphere and are excited to be able to exercise in the warmer weather. In any case, it is useful to set goals to help you achieve the results you want and to increase your motivation. There is a principle called the SMARTER principle where each letter is an acronym for the principle. First of all, I think writing down your dreams is a great thing to do. Gets what you want to get. However, it is important to look beyond simply writing it. We need steps to achieve our goals. This is where the SMARTER principle comes into play. Each acronym is a step in the process of achieving your goals. Let's start with SS - Specific and Measurable. What is it you want to achieve? Say you want to lose weight. You know you want to lose weight, but how much? Say you want to run farther...define how much further.M - I focusIt's okay to say I want to marry X or I want my son to be a professional golfer. However, X may not want to marry you and your son may not want to become a professional golfer. Your goals must be specific to you and controllable by you. It might be a better goal to say that I will give my son the opportunity to play golf or I will ask X on a date. A - Attainable You may be a B level tennis player who sets a goal of winning the US Open next year may not be achievable. If you are a young teenage player who has the potential and motivation to succeed on the competitive tennis circuit… middle of the paper… I need to consider why you want to achieve a particular goal: what are your personal reasons behind basis of your desire? Having good reasons for achieving a goal can make a big difference in your ability to achieve it, especially when the going gets tough. Reward yourself along the way. The more you set up a positive feedback loop, the more you will want to succeed along the way. A positive feedback loop means having something positive to look forward to once you reach a milestone. This creates that feeling of waiting for something at the end of a challenge. Some reward suggestions include doing something for yourself like getting a massage or facial, cooking yourself a meal of healthy produce, or enjoying a nice glass of wine. So next time you have a goal to achieve you may benefit from using these steps. Good luck!31/05/10