Manic Monday - Be a goal setter!
It's Monday.....again. Did you set any new goals heading into this summer? If you have, are getting closer to reaching them? One thing I have noticed about goals, whether they are fitness related or goals for other aspects of life, is the fact that many people do not specify their goals. I hear all of the time about how people want to lose weight, shape up, get stronger, look better, be healthier, and the list goes on. Even though all of those goals are good, they are still just general statements and generally speaking we all want those goals. For a goal to be achieved fully, there needs to be a specific detail to that goal AND a detailed plan to make that goal happen. General goals with no plan will almost always fail. I have analyzed goal setting for many years particularly because my first clients were such goal oriented at work but not so much with their health. I realized that if they could approach their fitness goals with the same strategy they had with work then they would make some effective strides. For example, let's say by the end of this year I want to build up my savings account and save a good chuck of money. I make a general goal and state that I want to save money this year. Simple. Well as the year goes on, I try to be mindful of that goal, but when push comes to shove, in the end I probably have only saved a couple hundred dollars. Was that my best shot at saving? Just being a little mindful of my savings goal? No. But, if I specifically state that by the end of this year I am going to save $5,000, and I configure HOW I am going to do that, chances are that I will be more goal orientated and have a great shot at making that happen. I use this example because it happened to me! One year I was motivated enough to say this is the year I will build my savings. I didn't have a specific goal in mind nor did I have a good plan in place to strategically make that happen. The year ended and I had only saved under $1,000. The next year changed. My husband and I made a benchmark of saving $10,000. We strategized and analyzed our way of living and what we could do without. We figured out different ways to MAKE SURE money was being put into our account, like weekly direct deposits into our savings. At the end of the year we achieved our goal. Health goals, like any of our life journey goals, should be made with specific benchmarks and strategies. If you want to lose weight, specify how much you want or need to lose, in what realistic timeframe, and why it is important to you. Write your specific goal out on paper. This prompts you to think seriously about your goal. Next, establish a plan or strategy. This should include how you are going to reach your goal and in what timeframe. Establish a way to measure your efforts. For weight loss it might be taking a scale weight every week or trying on those tight pair of pants. Strength goals might include a measure of body strength by analyzing the amount of resistance you can perform each month. A health goal might have a measure of having blood work done every 3 months. There is a variety of measuring methods for every goal. Establish those measures and write them down on your calendar. Make it happen. So what are your goals? This week make those goals in detail, mastermind a strategy or plan, establish a timeframe, and schedule your measurements on the calendar! Have a GREAT week and enjoy your blessings! Rachel Zimmerman, Certified Personal Trainer and Life Coach ACE/NSCA Wife, Mother, and Friend
