The New Year is upon us, and everyone’s social media accounts are blowing up with promises from friends and family that this year…YES, THIS YEAR… is “Their Year!” They are going to “Wake Up and Get After It!” and “Make Monday their…” you know what.
This can be quite frustrating for avid gym-goers who make goals and keep promises to their health and wellness all year round.
So, perhaps let us look at the keys to making and surpassing goals by using a little acronym from school:
SMART
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound…Goals.
Specific: State exactly what you want to accomplish and try not to be too broad like, “I wanna be JACKED!” We get it, you would like to be in shape, but maybe it could be, “Id like to lose X lbs or Y inches.” Now, that is a more specific goal that can be measured.
Measurable: How will you evaluate your progress? How will you chart your successes? Think of it like analytics. Use the data to keep yourself on track and for motivation.
Achievable: Is this an attainable goal? Are you taking on too much? Are you taking on too little? Is it challenging? Can you do it within the time period? Remember to be realistic with your expectations and make small steps toward the bigger picture.
Relevant: Can you keep this goal and your lifestyle? Can you commit to this? Are you too busy to take on a 4-day workout plan? Are you setting yourself up for failure from the start?
Time-Bound: Set some target dates so “by this date…” and use them as checkpoints, exactly like stated above.
Sifu Daryl’s Tips for Successful Health Related Smart Goals:
Set 2-3 smaller SMART goals to achieve and bigger SMART goal. If losing or gaining weight is your bigger goal than what are the two smaller ones that will help you accomplish this? Working out? Eating well? Every little thing helps.
Don’t Work Out Alone: Pay Someone, or join a group class. You can’t push yourself like someone else can push you. You aren’t an Olympic Athlete and guess what; they have Coaches and Trainers. That is their job. Your job is to think less and do more.
Invest in your Strengths and Weaknesses: What do you lack? What are your strengths? If you are excellent at cooking and not working out, hire a trainer. If you are fantastic at working out and not cooking, hire a meal prep company or start preps on Sunday. Success costs, people. And, success costs people. You are a customer and an employer. Remember that balance.
Let’s do it this Year! Train Like a Black Belt
