Activity SMART Goals

Ask yourself: what, how much, when, and how often?

  • Focus on behavior, not outcome (e.g., eat at least 2 cups of veggies per day vs. lose 2 pounds)
  • Start small, then build on the goal over time (initial goals that are too ambitious often result in frustration or a sense of failure)
  • Start with a short time frame (e.g., 1–2 weeks so you can monitor your actions)

Examples:

  1. I will walk briskly for at least 15 minutes at least 5 days a week, starting Monday.
  2. I will take the stairs up the 3 flights to my office at least once each day that I am at work this week.
  3. I will do 20 minutes of lower extremity strengthening.