January 29th, 2014
A new year means it time for new goals. I’m going to give you five tips to help give you a better shot at keeping those resolutions!
- Set realistic, measurable, and attainable goals – This goes double for fitness/health related goals. Instead of saying “I’m going to get fit,” try making your goal to exercise X amount of time, X days a week. Instead of “I’m going to eat better,” try making your goal to prepare X number of meals for yourself per week. Be sure not to start too big and set yourself up to fail. If you don’t exercise at all now, it is very unlikely that you will be able to sustain working out for an hour 4-5 times a week for much longer than a month. Start small and build off those goals once you achieve them. The momentum you gain from accomplishing them will help you take on larger goals with more success.
- Keep track – There’s an old saying, “What gets measured gets done.” Goals are no different. Write your goals down and keep them in a place where you will see them every day. Keep track of your progress in a journal or on a calendar. Look back on how things went on the days you were able to do what you set out to, and on the ones you didn’t. It will give you an idea of how to set yourself up for success in the future.
- Leave room for failure – No one gets it right on the first try. We all hit snags along the way, and you just have to make it okay for that to happen. Don’t beat yourself up because you missed a workout, or indulged your sweet tooth at a social function. Recognize the slip up, figure out how to keep it from happening again, move on, persevere.
- Figure out the WHY – Focus on the outcomes of your goals. Think about how they will improve your life and be mindful of that while you are working towards accomplishing them. Knowing WHY you’re doing something and not just WHAT you are doing will help keep you motivated when times are tough.
- Keep it positive – Any of you golfers will know that when you think to yourself “don’t hit it into the water” your ball is doomed for a watery grave before you even swing at it. Our brains are wired respond much better to positive intention than negative. Make your goals more about what you are going to do instead of what you won’t and you’ll already have a leg up.
* A couple of bonus tips for ya: Try to keep your list limited to 5 items or so. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and end up getting nothing accomplished. Also, let you friends know about your goals. You will feel more personal responsibility when other people know what you are up to and they can help hold you accountable as well!
Best of luck reaching your goals in 2014! If there are any goals that I can help you with like getting your body into shape to handle some new physical challenges or helping you work on your posture let me know. I’m here to help.