Winter is just about over and, for too many of us, so are our attempts at keeping our New Year’s resolutions. Don’t feel too bad about it, though. I am not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. Too many of us use resolutions as an attempt to make sweeping changes to aspects of ourselves that we perceive as negative, and when we revert to the way we were, we feel like failures.

If your resolution was to get in shape or lose weight, there’s a better approach. Consider the arrival of spring as a second chance to make a change. But this time, you’re going to tackle it in a more calculated manner.

Your first step to “Springing into Shape” is to set goals for yourself. Begin by setting a long-term goal that is specific to what you want. If you want to lose weight, determine how much weight you want to lose. Perhaps you want to make a commitment to get into shape. The next step is to figure out exactly what you will need to do to reach these goals, and to establish benchmarks along the way.

When I am working with my own clients I use the acronym S.M.A.R.T. when we discuss goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.

A general goal is to lose weight or to start exercising. A specific goal would be to lose 10 pounds or to join a health club and exercise three times a week.

You can’t manage it if it is not measurable. Concrete criteria must be established for measuring progress toward the attainment of your goal. “I’m going to lose 10 pounds by the end of May,” is measurable; “I’m going to lose weight,” is not.

Setting goals that are too far out of your reach also presents a problem. We all know that losing 20 pounds in one week is not achievable. Setting a goal of losing one pound a week is definitely attainable and the small success you achieve each week will keep you motivated to continue.

Your goal is only realistic if you truly believe you can do it. It must be something that you are both willing and able to do. Only you can determine this. Set the bar high enough for a satisfying achievement. Exercising every day may not be a realistic goal, but perhaps making time to work out three days a week is do-able.

Always set a timeframe for your goals. Establishing an end-point will give you a clear target to work towards. Perhaps you will compete in your first-ever 10K run this year. “The Pittsburgh Great Race” is held in September. That could be your target. For your goal to be timely it must be measurable, attainable, and realistic. Without setting a time limit, there’s no urgency to start taking action now.

Everyone can benefit by applying the S.M.A.R.T. instrument to goals in your life, whether in fitness, business, or otherwise. Write down your S.M.A.R.T. goal today and then write it down every day thereafter until it is attained. If you believe it, you will achieve it.