Goals are great. I LOVE thinking about them, I love setting them, I love hearing what goals other people have, I love hearing the plans, the how to's, and the success stories. The goal itself helps set the scene for planning, but the system you set up is the secret sauce when it comes to making actual progress toward any goal. The system you develop should lay out the actions that you plan to take and the tasks that you will complete on a regular basis. Having a system in place will help keep you consistent and focused on the day to day steps which will ultimately lead you closer to your end goal. As you brainstorm out your steps, keep the following suggestions in mind to make your life a bit easier.
Start small, be realistic, and always adapt as needed.
Start small Changing 7 different things right off the bat or implementing super strict guidelines is overwhelming and not gonna be something you are likely to maintain for the long haul. Start with something small, let yourself get those small wins under your belt, take advantage of the momentum you get going, and then build onto your steps and add in more actions as you go.
Be realistic Don’t lie to yourself.... You know in the back of your head what you realistically will actually do or what will work best for you. Don't create a crazy schedule if you know it's unrealistic to your life. Make it as easy as possible on yourself so you can be as consistent as possible with the new changes or routine you plan to implement.
Adapt as needed We all know life happens, but this is when you don’t want to just roll over and give up the minute things get chaotic. You simply PIVOT and carry on (if you watch Friends you know). Don’t stop just because there might be a day or week where 💩 hits the fan and throws you off your routine. Maybe you get sick and are down for the count for a week or more, life happens, just pick back up right where you left off. We’re in this for the long haul so all that matters is that you keep going with it rather than giving up and spiraling backwards.
Let’s put this into play with an example.
Goal- You want to get into a regular workout routine.
Start small This will depend on you and where you are at when you start, but this may look like one workout a week to start for someone or this may look like 10-15 minute walks on lunch breaks for another person. Do this for a month or so and then add onto it. Increase the workouts from once a week to two - three times a week or bump the walks up to 30-45 mins.
Be realistic Don’t set yourself up to go the gym 7 days a week from the jump if you know damn well that is probably not going to happen. If you have a tight schedule as it is, just add in workouts wherever you realistically will be able to fit them in. If you know you are not the type to just workout on your own, join a class instead. Do what works for you.
Adapt as needed If your schedule changes - change the timing of your workouts or even the length of them. This can look like going from 5 workouts a week down to 2 instead, BUT NOT STOPPING, just adapting. Get sick or going on vacation? pick back up right where you left off... just don't get comfy again at square one not doing anything. Roll with the punches as they come, do your best, and keep going.
Here are a few questions that might be helpful to ask yourself as you are setting up your system
What is the easiest step I can take and add in first? (give yourself a small win to build momentum)
What REALISTICALLY am I going to do? Remember - Don’t lie to yourself.
What other simple actions can I take on a weekly or even daily basis that will get me closer to my goal?
Is there a time of day or a time in the week that I KNOW I am guaranteed to get things done? Use that to your advantage
What are some ways I can adapt these steps when life gets chaotic? Aka what is a back up pivot plan.
You can apply all of this to any goal you've been tossing around in your head, fitness related or not. Take some time, plan it out, and get to it.
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