Too often, I hear comments like “I need to eat better,” “I want to get into shape,” “I need to focus on my health”. Most of us know that something needs to change in order to change those statements into actions, but why do we have so many problems doing that?
Lack of time, money, and/or motivation – these tend to be some of the biggest obstacles that stop most people from pursuing their health and fitness goals. I get it, because I have been there before…multiple times. The question, then, becomes: what’s it worth to you to achieve a healthier, fitter, happier life?
Getting started and changing your habits isn’t always easy. If it were, everyone would be doing it. Remember, a healthy lifestyle is a marathon. It is NOT a sprint. Getting to a healthier lifestyle will take time, but it will work as long as you’re willing to make that commitment by setting goals.
In the beginnings of my fitness journey, I would always say “I’m going to lose weight” or “I need to lose weight”. I would get super motivated, buy healthy food, and go hard at the gym with weight lifting and cardio. But then life happened and the first thing that would go was my fitness. I always kept saying “I’ll do it tomorrow” and wouldn’t follow through that next day.
One of the reasons that I did bikini competitions was because it had all the components of a SMART goal that aligned with my own personal fitness goals. I kept getting in the cycle of saying I wanted to lose weight, would eat healthy and work out consistently for a week or so, then “fall off the wagon”. Signing up for a bikini competition and working with a coach helped me achieve those goals because I needed to lose 20 lbs. in three months. Each week, I was able to track my progress with the weight scale and progress photos. Having a coach in my corner held me accountable, kept me focused, and gave me motivation when I felt like giving up.
As you think about what YOUR OWN goals, make sure they are SMART. I know you probably have heard that before, but yet I still see people not using this acronym when it comes to fitness. It made the huge difference for me between staying committed and (having my excuses over-power my goals). If it made the difference for me, it most definitely could make the difference for you.
S – Specific. Goals should be specific but NOT too specific because you may lose the sense of importance on the goal. Remember to state WHAT you want to achieve, HOW you are going to achieve it, and WHEN you want to achieve it.
M- Measurable. It’s important to track your progress through some measures to keep you motivated. You should quantify a goal by asking, “How much?” “How many?” and “How will I know?”
A- Achievable/ attainable. Your goal needs to be realistic and attainable. It should challenge you but still remain possible. Remember, if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. It’s better to take baby steps to a bigger goal than to try too much, fail and give up. Ask yourself “how realistic is my goal with all things considering (time, financial, etc.)?”
R- Relevant. Your goals should be important to you and mean something to you. This is what you should always think about before and during your workouts to keep you motivated and inspired.
T- Time-limited. Set a deadline. This allows you to focus on something and works toward it in a timely manner. If you don’t a deadline, you may use the excuse “I can just do it tomorrow”.
Think about those goals and think about how you can convert them into SMART goals to have a better chance of accomplishing them. Request a FREE consultation with me at www.brittiniewick.com and let me help YOU make this happen. Accomplishing your SMART fitness goals are only one email away!!
~Coach Britt
References:
- https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/smart-goals.htm
- Hensrud, D.D. (2018). Mayo Clinic Guide to Healthy Living. Rochester, MN: Mayo Clinic Health Information.
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