Coppell Trainer Tip – Importance of Setting Goals
Setting goals when it comes to your health and fitness is the first step in starting a program. It’s important because if you do not have a goal in mind, there is not reason to stay consistent.
It’s important come up with a few specific goals before starting. What are you looking to get accomplished. This needs to be specific and also have dates attached to it. The other key to setting goals is the WHY behind it. If your goal is to have more energy, it’s important to know WHY you want more energy. I want to have more energy so when I get home from work I have enough energy to be able to play with my kids and get things done. I am tired to getting home and just sitting on the couch and watching my kids play.
Since weight loss is the most common goal for folks looking to start a health and fitness program, here is an example of how to approach a goal.
I will lose 40 pounds in the next 7 months. In order to do that I will start with 6 pounds the first 4 weeks and average 6 pounds a month for the remaining months. I want to lose weight because I am tired of seeing myself in the mirror, I want to feel better about myself, and I have a wedding that I would like to look great in. If you have BIG enough goals and a big enough WHY, then you can set out to have a clear plan of action to achieve that goal. Having this will also allow you to focus on the WHY when you do not really feel like following through with the plan of action. So those days when you do not “feel” like working out or eating healthy, your GOAL and WHY are right in front of you giving you what you need to do the things you don’t want to do so you can achieve the things you want to achieve in the long run.
Goals can help direct behavior and define a person’s priorities, report educators at the University of Illinois Department of Disability and Human Development. Setting goals breaks down the process needed to achieve a specific outcome.
So if you have not already done so. Take a minute and define your health and fitness goals that you want to achieve in the next 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months.
Be specific with dates and they reason why you want to achieve those goals.
Then write in on sticky notes and place them in places that you will see them a few times each day. The computer monitor, your car, the bathroom mirror, and the tv are all great spots that help keep you seeing what your goals is. The more you see it the more you will actually see yourself achieving those goals!
