It’s time to set realistic and attainable goals. The key to goal setting is to have tangible short-term and long-term goals for your fitness program so that you can gauge your progress and stay motivated. It’s crucial to have a “baseline” before you begin so that you can measure your success. Having goals, particularly short-term goals, allows you to track your progress and keeps you motivated when times are tough and you don’t feel like exercising.
Be Specific, Very Specific
An essential element of goal setting is you have to be
very specific about your goal. You have a very small chance of attaining your goal if it is vague. So how do you create a very specific goal for yourself? It’s easier to do once you understand the difference.
Vague = I want to run faster
Focused = I want to run my first marathon in June of next year.
Notice how the goal is quantifiable and contains a time frame. Again, the goal is measurable—26.2 miles, and there is a time frame—June of next year.
Key #1
Having goals, particularly short-term goals, allows you to track your progress and keeps you motivated when times are tough and you don’t feel like exercising.
Key #2
Let’s take this one step further and recruit the power of your subconscious mind. Each day you should visualize yourself achieving your goal.
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- Each day you should visualize yourself achieving your goal.
- How does it feel?
- How do you look?
- Get into the habit of experiencing the successful accomplishment of your goals in your mind each day.
- This will set you up for success in a powerful way!
Goal Setting is easy, everyone can do it. Below is an initial 10-step process.
1. Think of something you want?
2. Imagine what it would be like to have it.
3. Check to see if it is ok to have it.
4. Think of the major steps to make it happen.
5. Determine obstacles you may encounter en route to achieving your goal.
6. Recruit people to help you overcome these obstacles.
7. Skills you have and will need to acquire to achieve your goal.
8. Set a date to accomplish the goal by.
9. Determine 5 minor milestones to get to your goal.
10. Focus your mind on this goal regularly.
This is the basic framework of how goal setting works. The key to making this work for you is to actually invest the time, in the beginning, to get everything in place, taking the time to do each step carefully.
I hope you have a healthy and productive day.