Setting SMART goals for June/July challenge

[mightstone2k]

I tried participating in the New Year's challenge, but I lost steam and dropped out.  It's summertime, I'm working instead of studying, and I am going to be in California instead of Chicago for the summer.  In other words, it's a fresh start and I want to use this time to remind myself how awesome I am.  I already ran a Tough Mudder (my self-gift for finishing year 1 of law school), purely to prove to myself that I am more than a mass of meat that perpetually reads casebooks and taps away at a computer.  So, here's the skinny on my life, then I can post my current goal ideas:

 

I just finished my first year of law school in Chicago.  I accepted a summer internship with the Coast Guard's Legal Services Division in California (I'm typing this from the Nebraska panhandle).  I start my internship on June 3, the challenge's start date.  More important than the internship, I am relocating to a brand new place for a few months.  I have never been to California, but it sounds like a mystical, magical place that I will enjoy immensely, IF I put in the effort to get out there and experience it!  My current plan is to do my strength workouts MWF, which leaves TuTh and SaSu open.  I will probably spend the work week in the Oakland/Alameda area and explore San Francisco and the surrounding areas on the weekends.  My internship is top priority because I want to impress my supervisors; all I need are some glowing recommendation letters to feel comfortable about my JAG application.  I should have much more free time during the week and on weekends because this is a 40 hour work week.  Unlike law school, I won't be putting in long hours outside of class/work; I'll be able to have a life.

 

On to the goal ideas!  These are all prospective ideas; I want to have 3 fitness goals and 1 life goal.  They could all use some refinement, and I would appreciate help making them SMART goals.  Nailing down achievable goals would be a big first step for me; I rarely engage in this kind of prospective contemplation about where I want my life to go.  Thank you!

 

Fitness

1.  Go to martial arts classes twice a week (My martial arts training has really suffered from law school.  I want to pick up training again when I start next semester; instituting the habit now would be easier.  I have found a Chinese kickboxing place near work that looks like fun, and the hours will work with my schedule.  It is easy for me to make excuses and skip things; with a set goal, it will be easier to overcome my excuses.  The class schedule will slot in perfectly on Tuesday and Thursday.)

 

2.  Do a twenty minute yoga routine three times a week (I have Sage Rountree's Athlete's Pocket Guide to Yoga.  I envision doing some of her preconstructed routines or building my own.  Again, having a goal makes it harder to skip it.  I want to use yoga to counteract all the sitting I do, and to develop some core strength; I haven't managed to progress in L-sits for a very long time.)

 

3.  Do 3 sets of 8 ring dips during a workout (I have built my resistance training routine out of Overcoming Gravity.  Building my upper body pushing strength barely squeaks ahead of improving my pulling strength because I will be tested on pushing exercises for the military.  When I get closer to military PFTs, I will start working on endurance.  Right now, I want to get fiendishly strong.  This goal could also shift to something on the pistol progression instead.  I can do 3x8 bulgarian split squats [foot on wall] presently, and I am ready to test shrimp squats to see if I can progress.  I am less clear on how to progress toward pistol squats, and academics have left me little time to research that.)

 

4.  Follow my personalized Runner's World SmartPlan (I need to improve my running, without question.  I hate running, but I will be tested on it for the military.  The SmartPlan is designed to build me to running a 5K.  My present time is a 10:11 mile and that needs to improve for the military.  The main reason not to use this goal (especially in conjunction with 1 and 2) is that I will be adding three new things onto my current 3/week resistance training plan.  I'm addicted to my bodyweight training and I don't want to hurt that.  Martial arts is the top priority to add and goal 1 is locked and loaded.  Yoga seems like a better addition than running right now, and I can slot running in for the next challenge.)

 

5.  Clean up my eating (Finals time was particularly bad for my willpower around food, and the road trip is challenging.  This is certainly not a SMART goal.  Some ideas:

a.  cap my added sugar consumption (any that doesn't occur naturally in food) at 10 g/day;

b.  cut out added sweets like chocolate (with three allowances during the challenge; there's a Ghirardelli factory in SF);

c.  hit my daily caloric/macro goals (I follow a Leangains-style eating plan, but I don't know how my allowances will change with martial arts in the mix.  Probably TDEE-500 on SaSu, TDEE on martial arts days, and TDEE+500 on resistance training days.  Protein at 1 g/lb bodyweight per day)

I like having a food-related goal, and it would probably replace goals 2 or 3 if I can make it SMART.)

 

Right now I am leaning toward 1, 2, and 5.  Any help on making 5 SMART is particularly appreciated.  I do like goals related to my resistance training, but I need to set a goal there less (if the purpose of the goal is to push myself to make lifestyle changes).  I already try to improve my resistance training because I am addicted to that facet of my life.  It kept me sane during the academic year.

 

Life

1.  Try two new things every week (I am on the fence about whether this should include trying new places to eat.  That seems far too easy; what I have in mind is exploring two new things in the SF area every week.  It could be a baseball game, a new neighborhood, doing the Alcatraz tour, or something similar.  Experience two new things every week?)

 

2.  Remove myself from unnecessary email lists (This is something I need to do to simplify my life.  I get far too many unnecessary emails during the day and I want to unclutter that part of my life.  Right now I just delete them, but I should unsubscribe so I don't have to bother.  But the other life goal seems much more compelling.)

[cline]

OMG!  What an amazing internship and w move to CA?? AWESOME!  WOWZA!  Well done you.  That sounds like a great opportunity.

 

Okay, as someone who spent much of her life moving about in the military and as a good goal setter, here's my take:

 

1.  Find out before you go, how likely you are to be successful in these goals.  You found a martial arts place, but what if it's not for you?  Call and talk with them.  It might not be what you are after so have a back up plan.  Also, do you own rings and will you have a place to set them up?  A lot of gyms don't have rings.  So, some of the practical stuff here.  So just have a back up plan for everything.  If martial arts doesn't work out, what will you work on instead?  We do change up our goals as needed so you are not locked into something forever.  Always remember that so you don't have to give up - just adjust as needed.

 

2.  Can you do ring dips now?  If not, that might be a lot to accomplish in 6 weeks.  Pistols w/o assistance are also hard to accomplish in 6 weeks.  So you can soften the goals to be successful.  Work on progression 2x week.  That is a good goal.  If you can do ring dips, how many now?  Let's say you can do 1 set of 5 unbroken.  Shoot for 1 set of 10 and 1 set of 5 by the end of the challenge.  See?

 

3.  When do you have to test in the running?  If it's not until the end of law school - meh.  Drop it for now.  Adding too much, having too many goals makes success hard. 

 

4.  I love the yoga goal.  I love the martial arts goal.  I love the ring dips goal.  Here's the thing - will you actually, for real, have the time?  I know you think you will, but will you?  Have you had honest chats with current interns there? What are their days like?  do they go home drained, exhausted, and crawl into bed at 8p?  Is there a culture of expectation that you go out every night?  Find out.  Then you can plan better.  I know it's easy to just say "I'll  do what is important to me" but in the end, what's important is your awesome internship and you want to be bright, crisp, successful, and a part of the team.  Find out.  chat with someone there.  Call your soon to be supervisor and say you want to talk to a current intern about the program.

 

5.  Food.  Ahhh, yes, well.  Other folks here will tell you that too many changes all at once on top of several food changes all at once can be, for many, a recipe for non success.  Here's the thing:  you have SOOOOOO MUCH going on right now that you're going to be frazzled for quite a while.  Pick ONE easy food success - limit sugar.  And go from there.  Worry less about everything else until life settles down and you're in a routine.  You'll be much more successful.  Esp if you kind of already have good eating habits down.

 

6.  I LOVE your life goals.  But again, two new things every week might not happen with a new job, new friends, new workout, yoga, etc.  See?  How about a softer goal:  1 museum or exhibition, 3 new places to eat, and 1 park in 6 weeks.  Or something like that.  Then you are likely to be successful.

 

I think you have an amazing adventure ahead of you!!!  Congratulations on your awesome! 

 

Call up and chat with current interns.  Get the lay of the land, the lay of the culture, etc.  Then you can plan a little better.  In sum, this looks like a great start!  Just don't shoot for too much too soon and you'll be super successful.

 

Well done.

[mightstone2k]

Thanks for the thoughtful reply, Cline. I'll try to match my reply to your numbered paragraphs.

1. I have called the martial arts school. They typically run a three month program (one class/week) for Chinese kickboxing, but they agreed to let me attend twice a week and condense the program because of my situation. It seems perfect for my short-term plans, which are basically to get back into the swing of martial arts and start experiencing other approaches to fighting (instead of a traditional art in itself, like tang soo do). I have a trial class scheduled for Tuesday and a backup school to try if this is a bad fit. I'll test the waters and see what happens. If both end up as bad fits, I could audible into a different fitness goal?

2. I do own rings and I currently can do 3 sets of 4 dips. I am wavering about this goal. I want to include it because I think going to 3x8 is attainable in six weeks. More on my inner debate in point 5.

3. Running will not be tested for a while, so I'll make a note of this goal and put it on the back burner for now.

4. I'm not worried about putting too much on my plate by setting so many fitness goals. My resistance training program was my release during first year, and I'm very good about not skimping on it. Even if the new job is stressful and time-consuming, this workout keeps me clear-headed and relieves tension. The yoga routine won't be too hard to incorporate either; I can do twenty minutes before bed to unwind. The only part that may cause difficulty is incorporating two nights of martial arts training. I haven't trained five nights a week since I started law school. I want to develop that habit now, but I readily admit that adding the martial arts aspect is a gamble.

5. I'm generally dialed in on healthy eating habits. This goal is meant to encourage a return to my preferred eating habits after the finals period. My tough choice is between this and the ring dips goal. I like having a food-related goal, but it seems too easy. If I do a food goal, I like your suggestion to narrow in on sugar. I'm going to keep pondering, but I'm leaning toward the dips.

6. That's a great idea about setting my adventure goal! I have a San Francisco guidebook. I think I'll sit down, make a list of experiences I want to have, and have my goal be to complete the list. A half dozen mini-adventures sounds right.

In summary:

The only real addition to my workout program is martial arts training. That goal is my most ambitious and I realize it may fail, depending on the internship's demands. I don't know who any past interns are. I never asked; honestly, the thought never crossed my mind. I'm new at being a professional and I regularly feel like a clod. I don't think beyond "give me a problem and watch me solve it"

The goals I'm currently considering are

1. Attend martial arts classes twice per week

2. Do a 20 minute yoga routine three times per week

3. Do 3 sets of 8 ring dips

4. Do six mini-adventures, which have yet to be determined

Posted from my phone. I apologize if I missed anything or if it isn't entirely coherent.