Evaluation

​Now that you know where you've been, you can determine where you're headed

The key to success in any lifestyle change is making SMART goals and not disrupting your current lifestyle to soon and too extremely.  So here we focus on where you have been, where you are, and where you want to be.  We then use the empowerment and education you have received in the previous phases to assist you in evaluating your lifestyle and your approach to change.  This is where the transformative participatory evaluation piece comes in.

SMART Goal-Setting

Specific:
When setting a goal, it’s important to be as specific as possible. Being specific will help you have a clear vision of exactly what you want to accomplish. Having a clear picture of your goal will help you set realistic checkpoints to keep yourself on track. Here’s an example of how you can take a goal and rework it to be more specific: A general goal of losing 25 pounds is vague. To improve this goal and make it more specific, you could say, “I want to lose 25 pounds by cutting refined sugar from my diet and exercising for 30 minutes three days a week.” As you can see, the specific goal paints a much clearer picture.

Measurable:
A goal needs to be measurable; otherwise, you won’t know how close you are to attaining it. How will you know when you reach your goal? You set checkpoints. Checkpoints are miniature goals that will help you reach your main goal. For example, a goal of making more money could be made measurable by setting a series of mini goals to reach on your way to the main goal. Keeping a goal measurable will help you stay on track. Furthermore, reaching these mini goals along the way will help you stay motivated as you witness your own progress.  You should be able to put a definitive mark as your measure, e.g. promotion, savings amount, pounds lost, hours of sleep, etc.

Attainable:
Unrealistic goals will only discourage you, since they aren’t attainable.  When setting a goal, make sure it’s something that you can realistically achieve. Achieving goals increase self-efficacy and makes individuals more successful at anything they do.  This means giving yourself enough time and making sure you have the resources (supplies, education, social support) to achieve your goal.

Relevant:
If your goal isn’t relevant to you, you will most likely struggle to see it to completion. A goal needs to hold meaning to your life, whether it’s a personal goal or a business goal. Setting a relevant, meaningful goal will give you the motivation you need to keep you focus on the main objective.

Time-Bound:
Breaking down a goal and making deadlines will keep you focused. When creating a timeline for your goal, be sure to take into account how long each task will take. Give yourself enough time to follow-through, but not too much time. Giving yourself more time than necessary could lead to distractions and time-wasting.