A guide to setting and
achieving your goals
The MS Mighty Swim is fast approaching and now is a great time to think about what you would like to achieve. Perhaps you'd like to swim more laps than you did last year or smash your fundraising target? Many people find that having a goal to aim for gives them something to work towards and motivates them to stay on track.
We've created a guide to help you set your goals for the MS Mighty Swim and achieve them!
Setting your goal
When setting a goal, you need to get specific about the who, what, when, where, why, and how of what you want to achieve.
You don’t want to use general statements like ‘I want to participate in the MS Mighty Swim’. The more specific your goal, the more likely you are to successfully achieve it!
We’re going to break down exactly how to set a goal to give you the best chance of success.
Make your goals measurable
When you give yourself a benchmark to aim for, you’ll be extra motivated to reach your goal as you see yourself getting closer and closer to achieving it. Plus, it will make it easier to track when you have actually achieved your goal.
Try turning our original goal of ‘I want to participate in the MS Mighty Swim’ into ‘I want to swim 20 laps at the MS Mighty Swim’.
Your goals need to be achievable and relevant to you
While your goal should be challenging, it should also be realistic. Think about what is achievable for you based on how much time you have to dedicate to your goal, your current health and fitness, and your resources.
When setting your goal, the most important thing to remember is this is YOUR goal, so it needs to be relevant and meaningful to you. Don’t compare your goals to anyone else’s. This is your journey, and everyone is facing their own unique challenges.
Goals should be time-specific
Having a start time and deadline for your goal is important, so you can create a plan to achieve it. When it comes to your goals for the MS Mighty Swim, your deadline is set for you. Now your focus should be deciding when you’re going to start working towards your goal and putting together a plan.
Achieving your goal
Now you’ve decided on your goal, it’s time to consider how you’ll reach that goal. You’re more likely to achieve your goal if you break it down into smaller goals that lead you to your big goal. Small goals are actions or behaviours you can implement into your daily life, such as:
- Exercise for at least 30 minutes, five days a week
- Do 10,000 steps a day
- Go to the pool for a swim once a week
- Get 7-9 hours of sleep a night
- Drink 2 litres of water a day.
If you are unsure how to best achieve your goal, reach out to an expert for help. For example, see your doctor, or consult a physiotherapist or personal trainer.
Remember: Always consult your doctor before starting any new diet or fitness program.
Tracking your progress
Tracking your progress as you work towards your goal is a great way to stay motivated. There are a few different ways you can monitor your progress such as:
- Plan your week in advance by scheduling in exercise and other small goals in a diary or calendar so you can tick them off as you achieve them during the week.
- Use a Smart Watch to track your exercise, daily steps, water intake and sleep.
- Keep a journal to record when you achieve your smaller goals – your MS Mighty Swim fundraiser dashboard has a great blog function that can be used to record your progress.
- If your goal is fitness focused, keep track of your exercise activity using the Fitness Activity Tracker on your MS Mighty Swim fundraiser dashboard.
Get started on achieving your goals with our helpful resources
Our Goal Tracker is a downloadable and printable resource that can help you make a plan to achieve your goal. Download here >
Keep track of your exercise activity using our Fitness Activity Tracker on your MS Mighty Swim fundraiser dashboard. Simply log in at the top of this page.
