Core Strengthening Audio Workout Program Level 3 and SMART Goals

Happy Friday!

Welcome back to the best part of the week, the Tactile Training Newsletter. Today, we’re covering the importance of proper goal setting, a weekly challenge, an included audio workout, technology spotlight, and more. If you find this newsletter valuable, please share it with a friend.

Goal Setting: How to Get SMART About Your Goals

• Proper goal setting determines whether you will succeed or fail at any given task. If you set the wrong goals, you will receive poor, ambiguous, or un-measureable results. Think about previous attempts at workout programs, diet plans, or weight loss journeys. If you’ve ever fallen short of a goal, it is likely because you did not create a SMART Goal. SMART Goals stand for an acronym meaning specific, measureable, attainable, relevant, and time bound. SMART.

• It was in 2019, while on a trip to Cambodia with my brother where I learned about the importance of setting SMART goals in a dramatic fashion. We ventured to a remote island off the coastal town of Sihanoukville. We planned to stay on this island for several nights, intent on enjoying the remote beauty of Cambodia’s beaches before returning home to Philadelphia.

• Upon arrival, we were warned not to enter the water on one side of the island. No reason or explanation was offered. After a few local Angkor beers, I decided the warnings were simply suggestions and decided to take a dip. About 15 yards out, I realized I’d made a mistake when I felt something sharp enter the ball of my left foot. It went in deep. To my horror, I found a large gash in my foot. It was bleeding badly and I was stuck on a remote island with no way off until morning and no real medical supplies.

• In that moment, I set a goal that was not SMART. My goal was simply to receive some type of medical help on mainland in the morning. I didn’t know exactly what, how, where, or who would help me. And because I did not have a specific, measureable, attainable, relevant, or time bound idea of the help I needed, the treatment I received was questionable at best, and life threatening at worst.

• To expedite the story, I eventually was given stitches with fishing line and handed a mix of unlabeled antibiotics from a shady looking hut on mainland for fifty US dollars. I received poor results from a poorly defined goal and ended up lucky to still have my foot. Not very smart.

• While this is an extreme example, I use SMART Goals with my clients every day. They are a terrific way to define goals from the outset and will help you accomplish things you previously thought impossible.

Weekly Challenge: Set a SMART Goal

For the upcoming week, your challenge is to set a SMART Goal for yourself. It can be anything! Your SMART goal can be fitness related, nutrition or hydration related, a task at work or even home-improvement related. Do not limit yourself. Try to apply these principles to your goal setting today.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Be Specific: Do not set a goal to complete a 5k race. Instead set a specific goal such as “complete a 5k race in 30 minutes or less.” In this example, we are removing ambiguity and becoming specific about success criteria.

2. Make it Measureable: Do not create a goal to “lose weight.” Instead, set a specific goal such as “lose five pounds.” In this example, we are making our success criteria quantifiable as an exact amount.

3. Make it Attainable: Set goals that are realistic for you. Be open and honest with yourself about what is sustainable within your current lifestyle.

4. Make it Relevant: Make sure the goal you are choosing matches up with your lifestyle and longer-term goals.

5. Make it Time-Bound: Create goals that have time limits such as “Lose five pounds over the next two months.” The duration or time-bound element of goal setting will keep you motivated and engaged.

Commit to setting your first SMART Goal today! If you’d like help creating your first SMART Goal, or want to share how this segment helped you, feel free to reply to this email.

Accessible Technology: Wayfindr

This week’s tech spotlight is on the Wayfindr app, an innovative solution that uses audio cues and GPS technology to assist visually impaired users in navigating public spaces. Designed to enhance spatial awareness and independence, Wayfindr provides real-time, location-based guidance through your smartphone.

Key features of the Wayfindr app include:

• Audio Navigation: Receive turn-by-turn audio instructions and location-based alerts to help you navigate through indoor and outdoor environments.

• Customizable Routes: Create and save personalized routes based on your preferences and receive updates about changes or obstacles.

• Seamless Integration: Compatible with various smartphones and accessible technology, making navigation assistance easy and intuitive.

To see how Wayfindr can support your navigation needs and to download the app, visit the Wayfindr Website: wayfindr.net 

Community Highlight: Guide

This week's community highlight is Guide Dogs for the Blind, a premier nonprofit dedicated to empowering individuals who are blind or visually impaired through the provision of guide dogs and related services. The organization offers comprehensive training and support to help clients achieve greater mobility and independence.

Stay updated and engaged with their activities through their Facebook Page: facebook.com/guidedogsfortheblind

For more information about their programs and services, visit their official website at: Guidedogs.com 

I hope you enjoyed this week’s newsletter! If you have any questions, trouble downloading the audio workout below, or suggestions for future newsletters; contact me at [email protected]. Until next time!

- Coach Brandon