HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT GOALS TO HELP YOU SUCCEED ON YOUR WELLNESS JOURNEY
So, it’s the start of a new year, and you have grand plans of getting to the gym on the regular, kicking bootay on the daily, and losing a handful of pounds as we leave the holidays behind us and get back into the warmer months of the year. We tell ourselves we will go to the gym every day. We will eat perfectly every day to make these changes in our bodies so we will finally be happy. We WILL succeed.
The New Year calendar looks like this:
Week 1 of 2023: Killing It!
Week 2 of 2023: Dang, I missed a day.
Week 3 of 2023: Dang, I missed a day and I ate pie.
Week 4 of 2023: Dang. I missed three days this week. Whelp, that was a bust. Never mind.
Does this sound or look familiar? I hear this and talk about this all the time with my clients. Why does this happen to us? Why do we do this to ourselves year after year?
I think the problem is two-fold. First, I think that we want to do so well, that our goals start out being unsustainable and unrealistic. Second, our goals tend to be too rigid, and thus, unattainable.
In Personal Training ‘school,’ they teach us to help our clients make SMART goals, which stands for:
S- Specific
M- Measurable
A- Achievable
R- Realistic
T- Time- Bound
With those SMART elements in mind, ask yourself if going to the gym every day is achievable? Is eating perfectly and having no pie realistic for you? In terms of goal setting, ‘every day,’ and ‘perfect’ do not sound achievable or realistic. For anyone.
If you are trying to set some goals (at any time of the year- not just at the start!,) I recommend truly gauging your starting point, and building a plan from there. So, if you are moving twice a week, maybe try setting a goal of moving 4 times a week (*IF that’s realistic for you,) and let your body adjust from there. You can always update your goals if they end up not quite working for you.
I also recommend choosing movement that you enjoy. If you hate running, please don’t choose running as your movement. Maybe Zumba or hiking is more your speed. If Personal Training sounds scary, try a group class first. If you need accountability, reach out to me for help, or find a local studio that offers a type of class that you enjoy and can look forward to attending.
Humans tend to be reward driven as well, so if that speaks to you, setting a goal of attending a class 3 times a week for one month and rewarding yourself with a manicure, or dinner out (with pie!) might work for you. Maybe schedule a manicure or massage after every 3 pounds that you lose. I also always recommend to my clients that they actually schedule their workout into their calendar, just as they would with any work appointment or other type of commitment. If you can schedule a movement session with a buddy, DO IT! The added accountability and comradery will be extremely helpful in the long run.
In the end, your success depends on how much you are willing to put into the game. If you set yourself up with SMART goals, you are setting yourself up for success, which will empower you to continue to make gains on your journey towards health and wellness.
And, remember, if you fall off the wagon, not all hope is lost! Get back on, and stay the course. Let go of any guilt or shame. Remind yourself of how great and powerful you felt after accomplishing what you set out to do, and know that you will feel great again.