“I need to get fit”, “I need to hit the gym” or how about “I need to lose weight”? These are all great thoughts but this is all they will remain if you don’t make them a reality. This means taking a closer look at what exactly it is you’re going to do, how, where, and more importantly why.
1. Try writing down the answers to the following questions: Why is this goal important to me? What do I want my future fit self to look and feel like? How does this compare to right now? What do I want to track? How will I track success? Will I use a heart rate monitor or a smart watch? How will I know when I have achieved my goals? What will I do aside from gym visits to stay healthy? What fitness activities do I like doing? What are the obstacles that would stop me exercising and/or achieving my goals? What tactics will I use to overcome these obstacles?
2. Identify the curve balls: As mentioned above, identify the barriers that might stop you from achieving your goals and have some tactics in place to mitigate these. Be honest with yourself. If you usually go for dinner with friends on Thursday evenings or Saturday mornings are already jam packed don’t schedule your training, then. In other words, design your schedule so it works for you.
3. Tell others about your goals: Tell friends and family about your goals and what you are going to be doing to achieve them. Whilst you don’t have to tell the world, tell some people. You’ll be amazed when you see them how they ask how you’re going and how in a nice subtle way they’re going to help keep you accountable. They may even be able to offer you some tips of their own.
4. Make your goals SMART: A tried and tested process for setting goals uses the SMART acronym, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. When you’ve drafted this, think like a Project Manager! Lay down the milestones and list the steps that you need to get you there any by when.
5. Play the long game: Your fitness goals may not be achieved overnight. Success can be defined by a simple formula: focus and consistency over time. The greater your focus and more consistent your habits, the less time it will take to reach success. No matter how small the progress you make on any given day always be making progress. Chip away on that goal on your hard days and take leaps and bounds (pardon the pun!) on those goods days.
But really above all else, start now. Writing off a year, a month, a week or even a day is not going to get you there. Start now and make tweaks and improvements over time. Good luck in 2022 everyone, looking forward to training with you again in 2022!
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