How to set fitness goals you will actually stick to.
Setting a goal is easy. Sticking to it is hard. This is true of fitness goals and any other kind of goal you set for yourself, which is why I'm telling you how to set goals that stick. There's not much point in setting a goal unless you're going to reach it, so follow these steps to make sure your fitness goals aren't just good intentions:
Identify your goals
Before you start, it's important to define the problem. In this case, your problem is a lack of motivation and consistency when it comes to achieving your fitness goals.
With that in mind, let's talk about why setting goals before you start on a lifestyle change is so important. If you don't know exactly where you want to go before beginning your journey, how will you know if or when you've arrived? The truth is that many people set out with vague aspirations like “I want to lose weight” or “I want to work out more often," but those kinds of vague statements won't help anyone achieve their goals—in fact, they may even sabotage their progress toward them! By setting tangible goals and following through with them each day (or week), however, any person can reach their fitness potential—and stay motivated along the way!
Now here's where many people go wrong: They get intimidated by other people's accomplishments and give up because they think theirs isn't good enough or fast enough. But this isn't an issue at all; just be ambitious enough in your thinking but realistic as well. For example: 6 months from now maybe I'll have run a half marathon."
Identify your "why"
Now that you’re clear on what your fitness goal is, the next thing to do is ask yourself why.
Why are you doing this? Why should you improve your health? What will happen if you don’t?
Your answers to these questions will form the basis of your motivation and drive to succeed with your fitness goals. And if they don’t go deep enough, then no matter how strong of a plan or positive mindset you have, it won't matter—because without a strong “why” there won't be enough fuel for the journey ahead.
Break your goal into smaller steps
One of the best ways to keep yourself on track with your goals is by breaking them down into small steps. If you’re trying to safely stop taking blood pressure medication, for example, don’t simply set a goal of going off meds by December. Instead, break it down further and say that you want to lower your blood pressure from 190/110 to 180/100 by September 1st so you can discuss reducing the dose of your bp medication with your doctor.
Once you know what your end goal is (and how much progress will get you there), make a plan for how much work each week needs to go into getting there. This might be something like “walk two kms every weekday evening after work” or “replace a starch or sugar with something green at every meal.” The key here is making sure the plan actually works for YOU—if possible, find someone who has been successful at whatever it is that YOU are trying to achieve and ask them about their approach!
Identify your barriers
Identify your barriers. You are not alone, and you are not the only person who has had trouble with fitness goals in the past. It's a common thing to start a workout routine or nutrition plan but then stop after a few days or weeks because of something that came up in life—an injury, an illness, a busy schedule at work that caused stress and anxiety.
Write down all of the reasons why you wanted to make changes in your life in terms of fitness by doing this exercise:
What were my reasons?
Why did I want to make these changes?
How does it help me reach my goal (e.g., having more energy to spend time with loved ones)?
Make a plan
If you don’t have a plan, all the motivation in the world won’t get you anywhere.
The first step to making a plan is to write down what it is that you want: lower blood pressure, run a marathon or improve my health in preparation of motherhood. Whatever your goals are, write them down--or at least tell someone else: trusted friends and family members can help provide encouragement when you need it most. Once you've written down what it is that you want to achieve, make sure that each goal has an actionable component (i.e., "be healthier" isn't specific enough). For example: "I want lower my blood pressure so I can stop taking blood pressure medication," or "I want to run a marathon by my 30th birthday." Now that we've established how specific our goals are and how they'll be achieved, let's focus on staying motivated!
Set milestones and reward yourself along the way with each new achievement (A new workout top, a fun outdoor activity, a healthy treat). These smaller wins will help you stay focused and motivated as you work toward your bigger goal.
Stick with these 7 steps to reach your fitness goals.
Identify your fitness goal
Explain your "why"
Recognize what will happen if you don’t achieve your goal.
Identify your potential barriers.
Plan ahead and find ways to overcome those barriers.
Break your goal into smaller, more manageable steps
Make a plan to stay on track with your goals and stick with it!
SMART
It’s important to believe that you can reach your fitness goals! This is where the SMART action plan comes in. You want to use S.M.A.R.T.: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time framed goals—to help you reach the fitness level you desire for yourself. If this sounds confusing or overwhelming to you, don’t worry! I am here to guide you through each step of of the goal-setting process.
Download the FREE, fillable, goal-setting pdf below to get started on identifying and achieving your fitness goals.
