Last week I tore apart the significance of setting resolutions and why as a method they suck for achieving goals that you really, really desire.
If you need a reminder, have another look here
Probably the most popular method of setting goals are using the SMART method and I’ll be honest and say I’ve used them in the past and still use aspects of them now but my problem with SMART is that they don’t take you the whole journey and leave you broken down on the side of the road waiting for assistance again.
In short….SMART sucks!
That’s why I have used the QUEST method for some time now and can honestly say that it is far more productive and successful in goal achievement. I use it for my Personal Training clients and I use it for myself in business and my own personal fitness and find it far easier to manage.
Q is about ‘Q’ualifying your goal, what you want to achieve. Part of this is to have a goal that excites the pants off you when you visualise that you have achieved it. What’s exciting about losing 7 pounds in 2 months if you could achieve 20 pounds.
In the way SMART goals are specific, a QUEST goal will also be specific with dates and also be measureable in some way but it does not have to be realistic. Realistic goals are not exciting goals and anything that inspires you is a lot more likely to influence you into taking good actions than a goal that allows you to wander.
And so what if you do not achieve it! Using the above example would you rather achieve 7 pounds weight loss or 18 pounds? When you look at it like that it’s a no brainer.
So while a QUEST goal is attainable (because it shouldn’t be something as ridiculous as lose 90lbs in a month), you’ll be amazed at what exactly attainable can be, just let it excite you rather than be realistic and boring.
So in explaining what Q is, the whole of a SMART goal has been analysed!
It is specific
It is measureable
It is attainable or not depending on how you define attainable as some will also say achievable and the difference between that and realistic is confusing enough and makes SMART a waste of time right there!
It is timely, it has deadlines!
The POWER in QUEST goal setting is what you then do next…
U is “U”nderstanding the goal, WHY is it so important. Lets face it - most people are closed doors when it comes to sharing their emotions publicly but one thing you SHOULD 100% do is understand the TRUTH behind why you want to achieve the goal. The REAL TRUTH is a lot more emotional that “I just want to look good” because, beg my pardon….that is rubbish.
I have gone through this process time after time and I would be that rich man if I had a penny for each time I heard that one. But for every time I heard it and continued to ask WHY, we got to the REAL reason why the weight loss, fat loss is so important, so much so that in some cases it has been a pretty overwhelming experience for that person but at the same time a very exciting one because they finally came clean to themselves (with me) as to WHY the goal is so important.
EMOTION triggers a lot more DESIRE and ACTION than no emotion at all so UNDERSTAND WHY achieving the goal will be so great.
E is to “E”ducate the cost of achieving that goal. BIG, EXCITING goals should have a bit of fear in them (becasue thats what happens when you care) but not to the point where you it is preventing you from taking action because from the start you have no doubt that you cannot achieve it.
Instead, understand the price that you have to pay to achieve that goal.
Whether that is with a professional like me or not, educate yourself about the changes and sacrifices you will have to make. If the goal is that important and exciting and inspiring, then taking action against what you have defined is much, much easier and straightforward to the point that it does not become a sacrifice because the goal is so important.
S is to “S”toke the fire.
Regular goal achievement fails because you don’t continue to repeat a process that stirs up excitement in your body. QUEST looks at using methods like the “4 steps to goal achievement” on a daily basis to stir up your emotions like it originally did when you set the goal. Too many times, I’ve seen goals go ignored for long periods so theres not emotion and no action!
T is to “T”est the goal and evaluate the importance of it and the progression towards it.
When you get closer to a goal you can become lazy because you’re nearly there. Nothing wrong with that when you’re hitting an amazing, exciting goal but to save time, continue to evaluate it’s importance to you on that date because it may be worth chalking it off as done and setting a new goal that does stirs the same emotions up in the present tense.
I’ve done this with training clients who have still achieved the original goal but sooner and started to progress towards their new one.
Obviously, if on testing the goal has no importance anymore, change it immediately. The other features of this method should however ensure that is not the case.
And you must test your progress by measuring against the original goal and ensure you are going in the right direction. This builds further accountability in what you’re doing instead of playing a game of Chance! The costs you have previously identified should prevent this.
I recommend to all bootcamp members that they go through this process as soon as possible after joining and at least once a month from there. After 2-3 weeks away from face to face communication, all my Personal Training clients are HAVING to do this and not one has come back disappointed.
They are inspired, focused and excited about the progress they WILL make in 2010!
Are You?
