New Year, New You!
It’s a whole New Year, a time to draw a line under last year’s efforts, and to look forward to the infinite possibilities that this year brings. If there was ever a time to re-launch a get fit or weight loss programme, or to indeed start one, then you can’t do better than the New Year as a start point. Think positive, make plans that revolve around the phrase “I will” rather than “I won’t”.
“I’m going to join a gym”, “I’ll go running in the morning”, “I want to get fitter and lose some weight”, “I’ll be more active” are some of the most common New Year resolutions made – and yet so often by the end of January we retreat to the sofa, muttering about how it’s all too difficult, and who can find the time to workout?
But with just a small amount of tweaking, these resolutions could be made much more powerful, and far more likely to succeed.
Importance of Smart Goals
Without precise goals, how can you ever achieve a desired result? After all, what does “fitter” mean, and how much is “some weight”? How will you know if you reach your goal if it does not have a defined and measurable target, and how long can enthusiasm be maintained if there is no target to reach? Research has consistently shown that:
“In short, when people are asked to do their best, they do not do so. This is because do-your-best goals have no external referent and thus are defined idiosyncratically. This allows for a wide range of acceptable performance levels, which is not the case when a goal level is specified”. (Locke, Chah, Harrison, & Lustgarten, 1989)
Goals need to be SMART:
Specific: How much weight to lose; how often will you go to the gym?
Measurable: Regular weigh-ins, distances covered, amount of weight lifted.
Achievable: How much in what time frame?
Realistic: Given your current weight and fitness regime?
Timed: What time frame are you looking at, when will the goal be met?
Once a goal is a SMART goal, then the chances of success are much higher. It’s so much more interesting making plans for your training with a clear focus. Ask yourself what you are trying to achieve from every training session. It can be a real eye-opener when you start to plan sessions with a goal rather than a general, let’s do something frame of mind. Your enthusiasm and motivation are increased, and the likelihood of staying on your programme is much higher.
When setting fitness goals, be sure to set milestones on the way to the big goal! Big goals are achieved by building on past successes, using each one as a stepping stone to the next. Aim to run your 10 kilometre race, and set milestones such as running for twenty minutes non stop, running for five kilometres. We all need some success to motivate us to continue with a challenge. These small successes will maintain your interest, and keep you motivated whilst striving for the ultimate goal. When you go to the gym there is a real focus to your work – knowing that you want to improve your run time by five minutes, or run for a mile longer will give you a determination that “getting fit” just won’t do.
When you have clear and well defined goals, and a structured plan to get you from where you currently are to that final goal, then you are giving yourself the best possible chance of reaching your target. Enjoy your training!