Let me guess? You’re sitting at your desk with a pad of paper and a pen, reflecting on the past year while adding item upon item to a long list of “resolutions” for 2014. You probably did that last year too. And the year before that one. Did you find success? Or did you toss the list a couple of weeks later feeling like a failure? If it was the latter, you’re not alone. One of the most common reasons that people fail with their new years resolutions is that they are often not realistic when they set their goals in the first place, and they set out to do too much too fast.
If losing weight is one of your resolutions, simply joining a gym in hopes to lose X number of pounds is not enough.
What program are you going to follow when you get to the gym?
Can you motivate yourself to go to the gym on your own, or is a group fitness program a better option for you?
Here are some tips for setting your goals the S.M.A.R.T. way:
Ω Be SPECIFIC. Ex: I want to feel healthier, build strength and have more energy and I will achieve this by joining the Best Body Bootcamp, attending all classes and following the nutritional advice that they provide.
Ω Make sure that your goal is MEASURABLE so you can see your progress. This means writing down how you feel, taking measurements or testing your abilities when you start and keeping track of your progress.
Ω Be realistic and make sure that your goals are ACHIEVABLE in the time frame you have set or at least realistic to your lifestyle.
Ω The RELEVANCE of your goal is also very important. Setting a goal to have a six-pack in 4 weeks, when all you really want to be able to do is have more energy to play with your kids, makes the six-pack irrelevant. Be specific. Be realistic.
Ω Make sure that you set TIME FRAMES to your goal otherwise it will be weighing down on you for a lot longer than you bargain for.
Also determining WHY you are setting a given goal is crucial to being able to follow through to the end. More importantly, if you don’t have a good enough reason why you are doing something you will most likely see it as a chore rather than something that you need to achieve because you are passionate about it or because it will change your life for the better.
Whatever your New Years goals may be, don’t be obsessive about them. Embrace whatever fitness goal you have set for yourself because you feel that it will bring you closer to health not your skinny jeans, and certainly not to fit into some mainstream idea of what your goals should be. Taking the time to reflect on the past year and years before are very helpful too. If you’ve joined the gym and quit for the past 5 years, then why are you preparing yourself to do the same this January?! This year, think about what makes you happy, what motivates you and work with that in your decision to get healthier and feel amazing this coming year.
We wish each and every one of you health and happiness in the coming year.
With love, Daniela & Roger Nahas
