Goal Setting and Motivation As I write this in my office in Henley Beach in South Australia, the winter month is fast approaching and for many people , this can lead to a drop in motivation. Then again, maybe you live in the Northern Emisphere and can't wait to exercise in warm weather. Either way, it's beneficial to set goals to help you achieve the results you want and to motivate you. There is a principle called the SMARTER principle in which each letter is an acronym for the principle. Firstly, I think writing down your dreams is a very good thing. TO DO. It brings out what you want to achieve. However, it is important to look further than just writing it down. 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 do you want to achieve? Say you want to lose weight. You know you want to lose weight, but by how much? Let's say you want to run further...define how far. M - Focused on Me It's fine to say that I want to marry X or that 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 should be specific to you and controllable by you. What might be a better goal would be to say that I will give my son the opportunity to play golf or that I will ask X out on a date. A - Achievable You could be a B level tennis player by setting a goal to win the US Open next year. might not be feasible. If you are a young adolescent player who has the potential and drive to succeed in the competitive tennis circuit...... middle of paper ......l to think about why you want to achieve a goal particular - what are your personal reasons behind your desire? Having powerful reasons to achieve a goal can make all the difference in your ability to achieve it, especially when the going gets tough. Reward yourself along the way. The more you establish a positive feedback loop, the more you will want to succeed along the way. A positive feedback loop is having something positive to look forward to once you've reached a milestone. It creates that feeling of looking forward to something at the end of a challenge. Some reward suggestions include doing something for yourself, like getting a massage or facial, cooking yourself a healthy meal, or enjoying a nice glass of wine. So the next time you have a goal to achieve, you might benefit from these steps. Good luck!31/05/10