Goal Setting for 2018
USE THE MOMENTUM OF THE NEW YEAR TO SET GOALS THAT STICK
The New Year brings a fresh opportunity for growth and change. However, as we find ourselves building momentum, obstacles can crop up and we start drifting away from the course we have charted. Many a dream gets lost in the small things of life, which can build up and overwhelm us if we don’t have a plan.
When life gets in the way, fitness and nutrition is usually one of the first things to fall by the wayside. But we need to make sure this stays strong so we can anchor ourselves. Here are 5 tips you can use to keep your goals in focus throughout 2018!
KEEP THE END IN MIND
If you knew with absolute certainty that in 6 months you would feel stronger, leaner and more energized… how would that make you feel? Probably great!
The challenge for most of us is not believing the goal is reachable, but believing that we are going to attain it. To reach our goals, we need to have clarity on the goal and we need a way of making it feel real right now – in this moment. If it’s too far away, and the second piece of pie is at arm’s length – well… we all know what happens next.
BE WILLING TO MOVE
If we stay where we are comfortable, we don’t allow ourselves the opportunity to change.
“Nothing precious is forged without pressure. Nothing great happens inside of our comfort zone.”
We need to move into areas of discomfort for growth to happen. We need to make sure the goal is attainable, but no goal is worth achieving if it does not require us to move and make a change.
KEEP THE DESTINATION IN SIGHT
Ideas and emotions fade. To keep the end in mind, we need to keep it right in front of our face. Also, if where we are trying to get to is too far away, it might just feel like we will never get there. The goal shouldn’t be so far from our present condition that we need binoculars to see it! They should be attainable, causing us to stretch, but not break!
We are 42% more likely to achieve goals that we write down. Put your goals on paper and keep them somewhere visible. Go ahead and post them to your bathroom mirror so you see them when you get up in the morning and before you go to bed.
BE ACCOUNTABLE
Who can you ask to partner with you in this pursuit? If you have a friend who is trying to get in shape or lose weight, having someone to check in with on a regular basis can help keep things pointed in the right direction. Also, if your friend is planning to meet you at the gym, you are far more likely to get those shoes laced up and head out the door! Just don’t be dependent on them. This is your journey. You still need to show up, even if they don’t.
MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS
If you step on the scale every day, it can become an obsession. Daily fluctuations in weight are normal. Sometimes we can gain a little weight temporarily even though we are eating healthy and exercising, especially if building new muscle mass. It’s important to measure our progress – and I suggest doing so on a monthly basis. As the weeks roll by and you see weight and inches dropping, energy rising, strength building, attitude becoming more positive… it can be very motivating to keep up the positive pace of progress!
This can be a year of real change. If we anticipate the obstacles in our path and follow these 5 steps, we will be far more likely to see our goals come to fruition. Don’t let 2018 be a year of missed opportunities – seize the day – make it happen!
