As many of you move through your fitness program, it is important to keep yourself motivated by continuing to review your goals. Both long term and short term goals are important as each serves a different purpose. Long term goals give you something to look forward to on the not-so-distant horizon, while short term goals are smaller chunks of your final destination that are more easily accomplished. Here are a couple of tips that you may not have heard before to help you succeed.
Firs, expect to have some setbacks. Rarely, if ever, does an individual coast through their journey towards their goal without any kind of hiccup. Expect that you may get sick, you may have family difficulties, you may overeat, or you may get injured. It happens to everyone. Be ready to modify your workout regime as needed when life throws you a curveball. It is never easy all the time - you must always pick yourself up and relentlessly pursue your goals. This is a great opportunity to see that you are a lot tougher than you think.
Second, keep your goals somewhere visible to remind yourself where you are headed. Have a checklist below your main goal or goals of things you can do on a daily or weekly basis and cross them off as you achieve them. If your main goal is to squat 200 pounds, you will obviously need to lift weights, so have as your checklist item 鈥減erform strength program three times per week.鈥� Give yourself a 'tick' for each strength workout you complete. You will be encouraged by your baby steps and more likely to succeed in the end.
Lastly, avoid making 鈥渓osing weight鈥� your primary focus. Your body responds only when it is ready - you cannot ever completely control it. It can be very discouraging to change your exercise and eating habits only to see the numbers on the scale stay the same or even increase from time to time (see first tip in this article). It is better to make healthy eating and a regular exercise routine your primary goals, with weight loss being secondary. Take your focus off the scale and onto things that are within your control. You will lessen the pressure you are putting on yourself and the stress and discouragement caused by an unmoving scale. With weight loss, it is better to focus on how to get there and how you can best enjoy the journey.
Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence
