Before we talk about setting goals lets first look at why we set goals.
Goals help us to purposefully shape our future in the way we want it to look.
One of the main issues with setting goals are people often struggle to acknowledge the fundamentals of what it will take to get there, and do not take it seriously enough or,they don't make their goal compelling enough and as soon as it gets difficult they quit. Let me give you an example.
So you could say you wanted to lose a stone for the summer so you could wear a bikini and for some people that could motivate them for a time although its not a very deep rooted reason. However if I said I want to lose a stone so I can run around with my children and be able to easily get in and out of the pool with loads of energy so we can have fun and so I do not feel self conscious whilst in a bikini, it has a different impact. This thought process not only goes deeper into the reason but it also creates an emotional response to the thought.So when you think of that reason, you are already emotionally experiencing how that would feel.
Having an emotional response to a thought can be a very powerful motivator.It is often why we see so many people super motivated to get in shape for their holidays for a short period of time, due to the fear of feeling exposed in a swimsuit. So many people stop training as soon as they come back from their holiday, even though they have had the best intention of carrying on. Their reason was not compelling enough and only applied for that short period of time in their life.
You must be absolutely clear on why you want this goal.
For example wanting to lift a 100kg dead lift could be your goal but on your journey the type of person you would become is a massive part of the goal. You would become more disciplined confident and you would feel empowered. Even when you reach your goal you would be much more motivated to carry on because of how weight training makes you feel rather than just focusing on the end result.
So with that in mind I want you to set goals using the SMART guidelines
Specific - clear conscious decision on what it is you want to achieve down to the detail including the emotion you will feel when you get it, or as you work towards it remember make it compelling
measurable - How are you going to monitor your progress? If its weight loss you would use scales if it was a social goal you could rate your meaningful interactions between 1-10 for the week. Its is important to do this as progress is what lets us know we are doing well and heading in the right direction so be sure to set mini mile stones to keep you motivated
Achievable -How are you going to achieve this goal ? you need to come up with an action plan that can fit in with your daily routine or make necessary adjustments.
so going the gym twice a week and waking up at 6am before work to go or doing 30 minutes in lunch break
Relevant - Make sure your goal relates to the overall thing you want to achieve for example if you want to get strong then running for hours on the treadmill is not going to get you to reach that goal.
Time bound -Time bound goals create a deadline and there is a certain amount of pressure that goes with that, use pressure as a tool to keep you on track
these goals need to inspire you excite you and may even make you a little scared
I want you to set goals not just in fitness but in all 6 of these areas:
Emotionally- how would you like to feel on a daily basis ,would you like to feel passionate or driven or would you like to feel calm and centred. maybe you want to work on feeling more grateful so you feel more fulfilled in your life
Spiritually- would you like to introduce meditation into your life or yoga maybe just a quite walk around the park or get your creative juices flowing composing music creating poetry reading a self help book creating art
Physically- Do you want to be super strong or maybe you want to lose 10 pounds or maybe you want to achieve something like climbing up a mountain or doing a marathon
or even to become more mobile or flexible to show your body love and care on a regular bases.
Professionally- Do you want a raise in work or to move to a more senior position or maybe you want to start your own business or you want to get more clients or sales or you may even want to expand your business or start a new career altogether
Financially- do you want to get better at managing money or saving. Do you want a specific amount of money in your account by the end of the year or a set amount of money that you want to earn, do you want to earn enough money to just pay the bills or do you want enough to go on several holidays and then some left for a rainy day. Do you want enough money to create financial security or freedom. do you want excess money so you can look after your family be as specific as you can.
Socially - Do you want to have more friends or to re-connect with the ones you already have but have been too busy to see. do you want to have a more deep and meaningful relationship with your partner. maybe you want quality time with your children or to develop your relationship with your parents so you really know them.
some of you are going to find this extremely difficult and the more difficult you find it the more likely you are to need to work on that specific area . Take this exercise very seriously and find a quite place where you can really sit down and look at your life and figure out what it is you really want out of life.
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