If at first you dont succeed, try, try..try...oh forget it!
Goal setting - Part 1
Here we go again.
It's coming up to that time of year again. The month we all seem to wait all year for to finally decide that this is it, its time to change. What time is it? Of course, its new years resolution time! Time to treat myself to some new training gear and join the gym, start a fad diet or stop eating chocolate! LETS DO THIS!
It then gets to February going into March. That busy gym you joined has recently started to gain some space for people to actually move and use the equipment they want to use without having to join the queue or skip it completely. The gyms have done it again, captured you into a 12 month contract and are reaping the rewards, whilst you are left feeling uninspired, demotivated and lost. All that determination and drive to finally stick to a plan has gone and chocolate is back on the shopping list.
Its not just you. 80% of health and fitness related new year resolutions fail by February!
Why does this happen to so many of us year after year?
The answer: Failure to set yourself a realistic, meaningful and track able goals.
A goal vs an effective goal
When I first meet potential clients and ask why are you here? or what do you want from this? the answer is usually one of three things (or all three!) and takes no time at all.
I want to lose weight
I want to get fit
I want to get lean
This might be similar to what you tell yourself before you take that step into the gym to sign up for a membership or before buying that new trending diet book.
Ok great! You have a goal so lets get started! You clearly know what you want. You have a way of tracking if what you are doing is working. Its obviously achievable now you have just joined a gym. Its realistic because you have tried it so many times before that this time its going to be different, this time it's got to work! Finally you know when you want to achieve it because the holiday you booked is just 3 weeks away.
All set, we have a plan so lets go!
Ermmmmm.........I think not.
Telling yourself I want to lose weight is technically a goal. However there is a difference between a goal and an effective goal.
An effective goal has:
An emotional connection and reason behind it.
A specific outcome and clear steps towards achieving it.
A way to track your progress and journey towards the end goal.
How you will achieve it has been thought through and ways to overcome challenges you may face have been recognised.
The outcome is realistic in terms of the time you have given yourself to achieve your final result.
You have a clear understanding of how you will look or feel once the goal has been achieved.
Now you know where you might be going wrong. The reason your health and fitness journey towards finally achieving your goals keeps going round and round in a vicious demotivating circle.
Its time to break out of the circle and do something about it.
Check back in for Part 2 of my goal setting blog and get the mindset needed to create those effective goals!
