Hello 2020, Nice to Meet you!

We’re a week into the new year. Did you make resolutions? Have you broken any already? The most common resolutions people make are 1. Eat Healthier 2. Exercise More & 3. Save Money. Sound familiar? Problem is, these are vague and wide and get recycled every year. How can you set goals that not only last past the first week of January, but propel you through the year towards the success you desire?

Note: boy what we wish we could go back and tell ourselves about 2020, right? The principles of this email still stand but if that insane year taught us anything, it is to be adaptable and resilient. Even the best laid plans get upended or blown all to bits. If your goals are in line with your best interest, you will find a way! —Kristin 2024

Try out the SMART-T-Pants method!

Watch the video to see what I’m talking about or scan the summary below!

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What I Cover in This Discussion

You have probably heard of the SMART Goal setter. I have expanded it to say SMART-T-Pants, a funny way for me to remember how I can plan to succeed. Follow along to get going on your own!

SMART-T-Pants

Specific-2:20

“Get healthy in 2020” wont help you much. What does that mean, anyway? Do you want to gain weight or lose it? Do you need help training for a marathon or are you struggling to get through your work day? It does much deeper than “get healthy.” Specifically list what healthy means to you and what exactly you are going for. I can’t help you get healthy, necessarily. But balance hormones? Get more sleep? Level out insulin? You get the idea.

Measurable- 3:04

Will you wake up one day and magically be healthy? How will you know when you’ve reached your goal? Picture it specifically. Will success come with the creation of a consistent new habit? For example: I will go off gluten for 6 months. Hooray! Or will it come by measuring specific labs? “I will get my A1C down to 5.7” or “I will drop my LDL by 10%.” Or maybe you want to lose weight. “I will lose 15 pounds in 90 days.” Maybe it is a goal of performance: “I will shave a minute of my mile run.” Set something tangible you can measure.

Attainable/Achievable-4:08

On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to be able to do this? Think about it. Does it cost money? Do you have the time you need? Do you have the support? Review your resources and circumstances and determine how likely you are to succeed. Did you score low? No worries, you just need to put a little more thought and strategy into it. Spending real time on this step sets you up for success.

Realistic/Relevant—5:19

The former was about external resources where this is more about internal ones. On a scale of 0-10, how committed are you to this goal? How willing are you to work for it? How much do you need this? Again, if the score is low, you need to reevaluate and re-strategize.

Timely-6:29

When is this due? What does this happen? Map this out. You want to be healthy in ten years? In 6 months? What exactly are you envisioning? Set a time to measure your success. “I will stop smoking by my birthday.” Then, break that into smaller goals with incremental due dates. “I will cut use by half in 30 days.” Most of us work harder when we’re up against a deadline.

Bonus tip: I use an Ap called Asana to manage my due dates. I love it because it is free and easy. You determine a goal (or project) and set a date. Then you break that goal into steps, each with a due date to move you forward to the end goal. Try it out!

That was the SMART Model. Now let’s expand it to get out SMART-T-Pants

T is for Toolbox- 8:20

This is a catch all phrase for all the things we do to help ourselves succeed. You want to identify some of yours, acquire more, and ditch the tools that don’t serve you.

Accountability Partner- 8:46

A friend, co worker, spouse, sibling….anyone who can help you stay on track. Someone who will be there for you. Someone you can call or even just text when you need encouragement, intervention or celebration.

Surprisingly, sometimes strangers are the best partners. If you are in a special interest group on social media or in a class or community club of some sort, posting that you need help and want to partner up can yield a new friend you can serve even as they assist you.

Mantras—10:40

Adopt a power statement, a motto, a phrase or statement that will carry you through your goals. “I am worth it” is a great place to start. Check out my episode on Health Mantras for help developing this tool.

Snapshot—11:10

I encourage you—even though most of us HATE to do it—to take a physical picture of yourself. Document your starting point. Beyond that, write down measurements, lab results, numbers, and anything that will help you quantify your beginning. This will aid in the Measurable part of your SMART goal. Be honest, open and confident…you are embarking on a journey!

Triggers and Obstacles—12:40

You know yourself best and you are mapping out your path. So clearly identify what trips you up, what triggers you to self sabotage, what has brought you down in the past. This can feel like you are ragging on yourself, but you aren’t. This is freeing and empowering. You will be able to avoid triggers and obstacles, or create strategies to navigate them.

Education—14:55

Before you embark on a journey, you need to be able to see how to get from point A to point B. If you don’t know, you need education! There are always ways and moments to soak up more knowledge and each piece of info you get a hold of can help propel you forward. So read that book, find a mentor, hire a coach, take in podcasts and documentaries. Dive in!

Pep Talks—16:30

Give yourself the same support you give your loved ones. You should be doing this daily, even several times a day.

Micro-Routines—18:10

Look for habits, small routines that already exist in your day. You always brush your teeth. You always put jammies on before bed. When you identify those, look for ways to anchor your new goals into these established actions. For example, your put your supplements by your toothbrush. You keep your journal by your jammies. Listen to the chat for more examples and explanation.

Power—21:05

Remember this power tool, it’s pretty simple but effective. YOU have the power. YOU call the shots. You can step off the path, change plans, scale back or accelerate, or take whatever steps you feel you need. Own the vision. Own the path. This is your goal and your life!

Throw out the Crappy Tools—22:41

Evaluate the tools that aren’t serving you anymore. They will look different for everyone, but here are a few to consider.

Mondays—23:08

Too often we plan to start Monday and use that as an excuse to binge through the weekend. Or we fall off the wagon and resolve to start again on Monday. Ditch the Monday! Start NOW.

What the hell?—23:47

A common sabotaging behavior is to suppose that once you’ve messed up you might as well keep going. You caved and ate some chips. What the hell? You may as well have the soda to wash it down. And what the hell? why not the ice cream? etc etc. There is a big difference between the damage one break from your goal can make—one binge, one missed workout, one breakdown—and a series of them. Between one bag of chips and a whole buffet of mistakes. What the hell? Start over NOW.

I Deserve This—25:31

We often eat things that are off plan because “we deserve it.” I had a hard day, I deserve this cookie. Think about the big picture. What do you really deserve? Listen to the chat to find out.

Shame—26:48

Ditch the shame and the guilt. So you fell off the wagon or experienced a set back. Feel it. Recognize it. Grow from it. Move on!

Pants—28:00

This was a fancy way of giving you permission to bribe yourself. Pants work with the memory trick. When you achieve a milestone in your goal you get to buy those sassy jeans you’ve been eyeing, or the comfy jammy pants or the sleek workout pants. The idea is to pick a reward to celebrate your victory and keep you looking forward.

It really doesn’t have to be pants. Pick something you can reward yourself with that won’t conflict with your goals.

Click here for a list of 100 self-bribes that may help inspire you.

Hungry for More? Talk to Me!

Let’s chat about what your vision is for 2020 and ways to get help aligning your diet with your goals. Remember, your food should be serving you!

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Download SMART T Pants Goal Sheets Here.

and don’t forget to

Look HERE for your 100 ideas for Healthy Rewards.

More reading:

I loved this article by Mark Sisson, one of my favorite health influencers, on how to rewrite the most common resolutions to be more effective.