Whatever the reason behind the goals, it gives us a bar to shoot for; something to work toward. Without a goal of any sort, we would all probably just sit on the couch all day staring into space.
The problem with goals is that once they are set, you have to find a way to reach that goal. It’s pretty easy to talk yourself out of reaching a goal if, after a short time, it seems that the goal isn’t reachable. “Oh well, I wasn’t going to make it anyway. I might as well give up.” How many of you have said that about a New Year’s resolution? If you set the goal, it was something you wanted to do. It might not seem reachable today or tomorrow, but you can get there if you stick with it.
Many you may have heard that goals need to be SMART. S.M.A.R.T goals need to be Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. What I find most important is that the goal is attainable and timely. Losing 100 lbs is an attainable goal, but losing 100 lbs in 3 months probably isn’t. In a case like that, I would break that goal down into smaller chunks and a realistic time frame, e.g. I want to lose 100 lbs, to get there, my first step will be to lose 10 lbs in the next 3 months. Now you have a goal that you can reach. Once you reach your goal, set the next step to get the next 10 lbs and keep doing that until you get to your ultimate goal. If your goal is to work out every day, it’s not going to happen, and it shouldn’t; you need to rest your body. Start with saying that you are going to work out 3 days/week. Once that has become a habit, increase to 4 days/week, then maybe 5 or 6.
When 2012 started, I set one resolution and had two fitness goals. My New Year's resolution was to eat vegetarian one day a week. This was kind of a health challenge to get me to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet. My fitness goals were to develop my abs and to be able to jump and touch a basketball rim. I was already getting close to the land of the mythical abs so I knew I could get there with hard work. My touching the rim goal seemed like a stretch. I’m 5’9” and I’ve never been close, I could barely touch the net. My plan is to keep strengthening myself then test myself every couple months to measure my progress. I’ve plugged into a jump training site also for ideas to improve, so I have a plan. I recently added a third goal for the year, to be able to score a 100 base on the Army Physical Fitness Test standards for my age group. I’m not in the military, but it seems like a measure of fitness to shoot for. It includes a timed 2-mile run, sit-ups, and push-ups. I haven’t tested myself yet, but I think I can get there and will work hard to get there.
What are your goals? Let me know so I can help you get there.
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