We are at the end of the first month of 2026 and we here at Clarington Physiotherapy Health and Wellness Centre know that many people (including us!) create New Year’s resolutions: claims and goals set out at the start of the year hoping to make changes and improvements to better yourself in the New Year. However, many people fall off with these resolutions quickly and fall back into old habits, ultimately not making meaningful changes.
Take this posting as an accountability check. How are you doing? What’s going right? What’s going wrong? Is there something that you are struggling with?
We hope that you can make a difference in this New Year, but life can be hard and unpredictable which makes change even harder. People are so motivated at the start of the year but can fail due to the lack of planning/ preparation. More often than not, there will be a huge desire to improve at something, with ultimately no road map to achieve it. You want to lose weight, but don’t know what to eat. You want to get fitter but have no idea where to start. Trying a new hobby but are scared to start. If these statements sound like you, that’s ok, we can help.
Here at Clarington Physiotherapy Health and Wellness Centre, we set SMART goals with all our clients in order to set them on the right path for success and better healing. SMART stands for:
Specific: being direct with what you want to achieve
Measurable: having a way to determine success
Achievable: is this a reasonable goal that you have set? How are you going to do it?
Relevant: how does this pertain to your life?
Timely: can it be completed in a reasonable amount of time?
With this outline of goal setting, we can manage expectations, monitor progress, and modify the plan if we need to. Without some form of organization, achieving something big can feel like a long-winded journey. While there may be an overall end goal, it’s also very important to set up some short term and mid term goals. This allows you to focus on something and achieve smaller milestones while ultimately still working on the final result.
Some examples of non-SMART Goals
- I want to lose 20lbs.
- I’m going to run a marathon this year.
- I want to eat healthier.
Example of SMART goals
- I will lose 20 pounds in 6 months by following a structured nutrition plan and completing at least 4 workouts per week (2 cardio sessions and 2 strength-training sessions), tracking my progress weekly.
- I will complete a full marathon in 6 months by following a 24-week progressive training program, running a minimum of 4 days per week, and following a performance-based nutrition plan to support endurance and recovery.
- Over the next 3 months, I will improve my daily energy levels by eating at least 3 balanced meals per day, limiting processed foods to no more than twice per week, drinking 2L of water daily, and meeting with a registered dietitian once per month.
If you have any questions about diet, physical activity, mobility, or overall wellness, the team at Clarington Physiotherapy Health and Wellness Centre offers physiotherapy, chiropractic, registered massage therapy, and registered dietitian services available for consultation so we can help you start on the right path to achieving your goals.
Book your assessment at Clarington Physiotherapy Health & Wellness Centre today and start achieving your goals! Click here to BOOK ONLINE, or call us at 905-240-9355! We can’t wait to meet you!
