How many times have you said that to yourself? Many people center their New Year’s resolutions around fitness. Drive by the local gym in January and the parking lot is full of people with their new resolution and their new goals and shiny new workout clothes. Drive by in March and there are not as many cars in the parking lot. Why does that happen? We can think of a million excuses: “I can’t find the time”; “I can’t wake up early in the morning”; “I am too tired to workout after work”; “I am too busy with the kids’ after school activities.”
The first step to succeed and sticking to your fitness resolution is to set realistic goals. Setting goals will help you stay focused. How can we set goals and actually stick to them?
#1 – Start Small
Our society has the misconception that goals need to be a declaration of something drastic. For example, saying, “I want to live a healthier life and be more active” is a huge, broad statement that can bring frustration if you don’t plan for it in smaller steps. Do you want to walk around the neighborhood for 20 minutes? Do you want to join a gym? Is your goal to run a half marathon or even a full marathon? Maybe you hope to be able to complete a triathlon. What is the one thing that you really, truly want? This has to be something you can see yourself enjoying. If there is no joy in it, you won’t stick to it.
#2 – Make it Known
Once you have your goal in mind, declare it to the world around you! This will help minimize your future excuses!! Your family needs to understand why this goal is important to you and how it will benefit not only you, but them. When you have your family’s support, maintaining a healthy fitness lifestyle becomes much easier. If you have children, it is important to include them in this conversation and in a workout or two. You’d be surprised how much kids can remind you of your goal and even encourage you.
#3 – Planning Makes Perfect
After you decide what is the one thing you truly want to do and see yourself enjoying, you will write it down and create a plan. Research shows that people who write down their goals and create a plan are far more likely to stick to that goal than the people who don’t. We live in a community with lots of fitness options. Most gyms, run clubs and triathlon clubs in the area will allow you to try them out once or twice for free. Take advantage of that!! This is a great way to see if you are in the right environment with the right people to motivate you and the right instructors/coaches to guide you safely to your fitness goals.
#4 – The Root of the Plan
When creating your plan, you need to be specific. If you decide that the one thing you see yourself enjoying is running, write down HOW you plan on getting there. For example:
Research local run clubs and try them out to see if they are a good fit for you.
Convince a friend this running thing could be fun.
Make a schedule – set days and times you will go out for a run and make it a priority. It doesn’t have to start with an hour! You can start at 5 minutes and increase on a weekly basis.
#5 – Finding Motivation
Now that you have a plan, you can get to work on it. Here’s where motivation will kick in! First and foremost, motivation comes from within. You either have it or you don’t. You need to ask yourself why you are setting this goal. What is your reason to be here? Why is it important? You will have to go back to these questions every now and then to stay on the right track.
#6 – Buddy System
Another effective motivator is a friend. A workout buddy will do wonders for your accountability. All of a sudden, waking up at 5 a.m. doesn’t seem as daunting because you have someone waiting for you, counting on you to be there.
I asked some of our Lake Nona Run Club athletes what motivates them to keep them focused on their goals. I am sharing these answers with you in hopes they inspire you to get moving.
“Having running goals has given me something positive to focus on and center myself around, beyond the bad days at work or various relationship struggles.” – S.R.
“The thing that keeps me on track is what I like to call ‘Positive Peer Pressure’ – where we all keep each other accountable, we encourage each other.” – L.S.
“Once I set my goals, I have to tell them to someone. Once I tell someone, there is a need or desire to meet that goal. I surround myself with people that have similar goals and are positive influencers to keep myself accountable to those goals.” – T.L.
“15 months of training has taught me that big goals are accomplished in baby steps. Small milestones, small incremental improvements resulted in accomplishing big goals. The small targets become fun and fulfilling with every step.” – V.M.
#7 – Measure Success
Track your progress! There are lots of apps out there to help you track your workout progress. Search apps like myfitnesspal, runkeeper, mapmyrun, etc. All these apps can be synced to food logs apps as well (livestrong, foodtracker, etc.). Now, not only are you tracking your workouts but how those burnt calories affect your daily routine. If you are not a fan of apps, keep a diary of how much you are exercising, eating, losing weight, gaining muscles and, most importantly, how you feel.
Progress will come slowly, but surely, and it’s the SURELY that counts in the end. Always keep in mind that it will take at least 4-6 weeks for you to start seeing and feeling a difference in your body with your new workout routine. People often get frustrated because they don’t see an immediate change. Stick to it, and you will see results. Progress then becomes a motivator. Once you start seeing progress, you will be more likely to stick with the program. Habit, on the other hand, will only take 30 days to set in.
When goals are accomplished, the success elicits positive emotions such as pride and joy. The sense of achievement will make you want to stay active. That first realistic goal may even evolve and become a lifestyle.
