The Importance of Goal Setting
The Importance of Goal Setting
Fitness goals can keep you accountable in the present and motivated for the future. Goal setting is a key, but often overlooked, component to achieving your fitness aspirations no matter how big or small. In fact, goal setting has shown to lead to long-lasting dietary and physical activity behavior change and also can lead to increased performance. There can be many reasons to shy away from goal setting, such as fear of failure, lack of knowledge, or feeling overwhelmed by the process. The following are tools to help you set your own unique fitness goals as you plan to dream big and run your first marathon or simply want to take stairs instead of the elevator.
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Be S.M.A.R.T.
S.M.A.R.T. goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Be as specific as you can about your fitness goal because “getting in shape” is extremely vague and hard to define. A more detailed goal would be to go to your favorite spin studio 3 times a week. A measurable goal is one that you can easily evaluate to measure progress. For instance, instead of setting a goal to do more pushups, you can set a goal to do 10 in a row. An attainable goal keeps your present physical fitness in mind. If you were a beginner runner, it would be ill advised to set a goal to run a marathon in a month’s time. Rather, you could set a goal to run a 5K race and then grow your plans from there. Goals should be high and realistic. If you have an injury or health issue, you need to set realistic fitness goals based on your body. Lastly, all goals should be timely. Setting a “deadline” for your goal will increase accountability and motivate you to take the steps you need to achieve it.
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Present Tense
All goals you set for yourself should be written down in a present tense affirmative tone. For example, instead of hoping - “I want to run a mile without stopping”, you should confidently state “I run a mile without stopping by October 31, 2016”.
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Create Categories
Grouping your fitness goals into categories can help you keep everything organized and break down the goal-setting process into manageable units. One way to do it is to set 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year fitness goals. If that seems too futuristic, setting 1-week or 1-month fitness goals may be more helpful. Grouping your fitness goals by physical activity (walking, running, biking, yoga) is another way to stay organized and on track.
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Nothing is “Set in Stone”
Even though you set a timeline for your goals, not achieving them by the set deadline does not mean that you have failed. In fact, it is both normal and encouraged to constantly reevaluate and change your fitness goals. Modifying goals helps to identify what to change in your current workout routine to help better achieve your dream fitness goal. Just remember that nothing happens overnight and the most important thing is to enjoy the journey.
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