Setting your #RiseAbove goals is the beginning of your treatment journey. Having a SMART #RiseAbove Goal is an important part of tracking your recovery process and motivating you for long-term success!

A SMART goal is Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time-Bound.

A Specific goal is clear and well defined. When setting your #RiseAbove Goal, consider the individual details of that goal. Try to paint a picture of what you want to accomplish.

A Measurable goal will allow you to track your progress.  For example, instead of saying, “I want to run”, specify how far you want to run and how many days a week you want to run. This will allow you to clearly track the progress that you are making. Your goal could be measured with dates, times, amounts, or distances, or it could be a specific event that you are working towards such as a race.

An Actionable goal is something that you are capable of taking the actions to achieve. You should consider whether you have the resources to achieve your goal or what resources you might need. For example, if your goal is to be able to ride a bike for 20km five times a week BUT you do not have a bike, that goal would not be actionable. There are two solutions to turn this goal into a SMART goal, either you go buy a bike, or you change your goal to something that you already have the resources to accomplish.

A Realistic goal will be possible for you to achieve. When setting your #RiseAbove Goal, think about whether the goal is possible for you to accomplish and whether you are willing to put in the effort needed to achieve it.  If you set an unrealistic goal, you will not feel very positive about your rehabilitation and you will be less motivated to do things that will lead to your success.

A Time-Bound goal means that you have a deadline for when you want to accomplish this goal. This is important because wanting to achieve something in 2 months compared to wanting to achieve something in 2 years is a very different timeline. Having a time-bound goal will help you and your #RiseAbove team decide how aggressive your treatment should be.

An important question to consider when setting your #RiseAbove goals is ‘Why is accomplishing this goal important to me?’ Setting a goal that is personal to you will not only motivate you to be an active participant in your #RiseAbove journey, but it will also coordinate team actions between your Sports Medicine Physician and Physiotherapist to create a custom plan to help you achieve your goal(s)!

It is also important to consider the Bio-Psychosocial-Spiritual approach and how all of these elements relate to your goal and treatment. When taking these factors into account, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to devote 100% of your time to your #RiseAbove journey and that is okay! However, it is important to take these elements into consideration when you are setting your goal(s) because they will help you understand whether your goal meets all the elements of being a SMART goal.

If you are ready to set your #RiseAbove goals and get back to movement, you can self-refer to the Accelerated Access Sports Injury Clinic (AASIC).