Whether it is your career, finances, relationship status, health, or your life in general, goals are an important tool for helping guide you in a particular direction.
Goals serve as a blueprint for action and set standards for improvement. They help shape the purpose for what it is that you are trying to achieve and help you stay motivated and energized.
There are two types of goals: short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals are something you want to achieve in the near future (anywhere from tomorrow up to 3 years). Long-term goals focus on the bigger picture and require more planning for the future. Typically, long-term goals include those you hope to achieve in a 3-5 year time span, while short-term goals serve as the stepping stones to get there.
When creating any type of goal, it is important to ensure they follow the S.M.A.R.T parameters:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant/Realistic
- Timely
By far, January 1st is the most infamous time for setting goals. However, the goal setting process is ongoing and ever changing, much like how life is in general. With 2020 over halfway done, why not take the midyear mark to reevaluate your old ones and/or create new ones.
In order to help you create the perfect short-term and long-term health goals, I will be walking you through each S.M.A.R.T component to help make your health goals a reality.


- Who: Who is involved in this goal?
- What: What do I want to accomplish?
- Where: Where is this goal to be achieved?
- When: When do I want to achieve this goal?
- Why: Why do I want to achieve this goal?
- “I want to lose weight” > “I want to lose 10 pounds in the next 6 months”
- “I want to be healthy” > “I want to discontinue my 2 medications for high blood pressure”
- “I want to make more money” > “I want to make a salary of $75,000 in 2020”
- “I want to travel more” > “I want to travel to 3 new countries in Europe in 2020”
- “I want to exercise more” > “I want to walk 30 minutes/day, 5 times/week”

- “I want to lose weight” > “I want to lose 10 pounds in the next 6 months”
- “I want to be healthy” > “I want to discontinue my 2 medications for high blood pressure”
- “I want to make more money” > “I want to make a salary of $75,000 in 2020”
- “I want to travel more” > “I want to travel to 3 new countries in Europe in 2020”
- “I want to exercise more” > “I want to walk 30 minutes/day, 5 times/week”

- Answer: a gym membership, time to commute to/from the gym, sturdy tennis shoes, and workout clothes. If times are financially tough right now and you can’t afford a gym membership AND/OR if you are super busy and cannot set aside 1 hour/day plus driving time to go to and from the gym, this goal would not be attainable.
- If you have a goal, “I want to lose 10 pounds in 1 month” is this truly realistic? It can be for those who need to lose a significant amount of weight to begin with, however even ten pounds in 30 days is stretching it. Instead, if you are only slighter over your goal weight, you can change it to, “I want to lose 10 pounds in the next 5 months.” This would be 2 pounds/month, which would be much more doable, achievable, and realistic.
- If you have a goal, “I want to run 30 minutes/day, 5 days/week” but do not enjoy running would this be relevant or realistic to achieve? The answer is no it wouldn’t. Instead change the activity of running to something you actually enjoy doing such as: swimming, biking, walking, hiking, or dance, etc. This way you are more likely to be successful in achieving a goal that is enjoyable to you.
- If you have a goal, “I want to travel to 3 new countries in Europe in 2020,” however flights are restricted due to Covid-19, is this goal realistic? It may be relevant to your needs, but it is not realistic. Instead, the goal can be changed to, “I want to travel to 3 new places in my home state by December 2020.” This goal may be more doable since it involves closer, less restricted travel.
- “I want to lose 10 pounds in the next 6 months or by December 2020”
- “I want to discontinue my 2 medications for high blood pressure in the next 6 months or by December 2020″
- “I want to make a salary of $75,000 by March 2021”
- “I want to travel to 3 new countries in Europe by December 2021”
- “I want to walk 30 minutes/day, 5 times/week”