Let’s talk goals: are you a goal setter? I never was before I started trying to get healthy. It’s not that I thought it was silly or anything, I just didn’t think it was a big deal to set them. I’d occasionally make lists and then promptly lose & forget them, lol! But you know what? I’ve found that unless I’m intentional about what I want, the days just seem to come and go and nothing much really happens. Now, a couple of times a year I sit down and write out some goals. December is usually when I start thinking about it & going over that year’s current “long term” list to see where I’m at. I actually set both short & long term goals, which I’ll talk about in a second but first I put together a list of good reasons you should start setting goals.
- Goals let you determine your priorities
- Goals will help you focus
- Goals give you a roadmap
- Goals help you move forward with intention
- Goals will help you eliminate the things that are not important
A key to good goal setting is to decide what your goals are and then make a plan to meet them. Some should be short term goals and others will be longer term goals that may take a while.
When I first started out I was trying to get healthy again so my first goal was my weight. I figured out what a healthier weight would be and set that goal weight and then worked backwards to make it more manageable. Over the course of approximately 18 months I lost 60lbs. My trainer (a very wise woman) helped me set a weekly realistic number and I focused on that. With that weekly number in mind I set a game plan:
Goal weight: Lose 50-60lbs. *Shoot for 1-2lbs per week:
- Exercise: work out at least 5 times per week
- Food:
- Start logging food
- Set a daily calorie goal
- Start making changes to the types of food I’m eating
With my game plan in place, I could now start working on my short term goal of losing 1-2lbs per week. Working through my short term goal was much more manageable and extremely less daunting than my long term goal of 50-60lbs.
As I went, occasionally I would hit road bumps and then my trainer and I would work through them to figure out a solution. So just remember that as you start pursuing your goals the road is never entirely smooth, so be ready to make adjustments to your game plan as needed.
Over time your goals will evolve. Once I started getting close to that goal of losing 50-60lbs. I realized that I actually wanted to continue to lose a little more & I could do that and stay in a healthy weight for my body type. Also, during this process I became quite a bit stronger & things I previously thought impossible now became possible. I wanted to learn new skills so my focus started to change a bit.
My weight goals have changed from “losing weight” to “eating to enhance my performance”. Now I’m learning to eat to fuel my training. Overall I’m really healthy & that makes my everyday life much better! In working towards my goals I have learned so much about food & living a healthy lifestyle, and one of the things I’ve learned is that there’s always more to learn. So now I’m looking over my current goals & I’ll be tweaking & making changes to them for next year.
When thinking about your goals you want to make sure you’re setting S.M.A.R.T. goals:
Specific: What exactly do you want to achieve (e.g. lose weight and get stronger) and how will you go about it (e.g. diet & exercise)?
Measurable: For example, tracking weight loss, working from getting 1 pull up to 3 pull ups, etc..
Accountable: Find someone to share your goal(s) with who will help you stay focused.
Realistic: Is this goal reasonable? It should be challenging but also achievable.
Time Bound: Give yourself a timeframe for reaching your goal (e.g. Weekly, monthly, etc..).
I’d love to hear some of your goals & game plans!! Remember the hardest thing is just to start! Don’t wait for the perfect time, just go ahead and START!
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