By now there will have been an influx of new and returning gym members or by Monday if the New Years Resolutions are put off for the start of the new week. Just yesterday my usual organic chicken thighs were out due to those resolutions toward healthier goals. These are all wonderfully good signs and I love to see health being moved to the top of the priority list. The downside to this new found resolve is that the statistics reveal 80% will give up and fall short of goals. As a personal trainer, nutrition, and life coach, I've always been somewhat baffled by the concept of New Year's resolutions and the way that they are sought after. I see people commit to a year or more gym membership fees and go for only 1-2 months of the time that they are paying for. Those same people would never dream of spending that money on hiring a trainer who will hold them accountable to workout commitments and help set them up on a routine that they can continue to do long after the self determination of a vague weight loss, get healthier, become toned, etc. goal entered their mind. As such, goals outside of the gym with family life, work, organization, etc. are not brought to a professional life coach for help either.
If you are reading this post, firstly, I would like to offer you a BOGO deal for any of my services, just reach out to me and it's yours! Secondly, I would like to help you at least define your goals and offer a bit of advice on how to better reach and maintain them. As opposed to vague goals that you can not fully define, set very specific goals and sub goals in a narrower time frame to help you get to your big goal. We will use the example of weight loss as it is a popular one especially this time of year. Your current goal is "I want to lose weight." To reword this goal and potentially completely change the outcome try the S.M.A.R.T. method.
Specific
Define your goal with clear language to answer who is involved, what do you want to accomplish, where will it be done, why are you doing this, which constraints and/or requirements do you have?
Measurable
Can you track the progress and measure the outcome by answering the following: how much, how many, how will you know when your goal is accomplished?
Attainable/Achievable
Make sure your goal is not out of reach and that it is reasonable enough to be accomplished. How will you do this?
Relevant
Is the goal worthwhile and will it meet your needs? Are your smaller goals consistent with your big goal and fit into a plan
Timely
Your goals need to have a time limit meaning they need to be completed by a certain day/month/year.
Now we can change our example of "I want to lose weight" into "I set myself on track to lose 10 pounds 10 weeks from today (3/2/19). I am scheduling a minimum of 4 days per week for 1 hour at a time to exercise on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 6:00am in my living room. I have a meal plan that I am following that allows room for food that I enjoy and I commit to meal prepping on Sundays so that I will have easy access helping me to stay on track when life gets hectic. My smaller goal increments is a 1 pound per week lost goal. I will report my progress every Monday at 12pm to my friend to help hold myself accountable. I have a maintenance plan set in place once I reach my goal so that I will not gain all the weight back that I lost."
I encourage you today to write out your S.M.A.R.T. goals setting yourself up for success as one of the 20% who follow through to reach their goals. Consistency is key and setting the same goals while trying to reach them the same way is by definition insanity. You can reach me by emailing, calling, or sending me a IM. All of which are listed on the home page of my website (here) when you scroll down.