New Year, New You
Welcome to our very first blog post! We are so excited to share with you some great ideas, tips, and ways to get yourself moving in high gear and on the right path to start off the new year strong.
Everyone has heard the saying before “New Year, New Me!” And I’m sure we have all said it before. If that is something you desire to achieve, then so be it. That is a perfect example of a goal that can be broken down into small, realistic and achievable goals. Your mind hears “new year, new me” and that can be a bit much for one. That is why we thought that blog #1 should be all about the benefits of setting realistic goals that you can achieved whether it is in or out of the gym.
Why Set Goals?
What is a goal? What is the purpose of setting goals? How do I set a goal? The questions could go on and on and on. Let us help you get a better understanding.
A goal is something that you desire, and it is something that is achievable. You can set a goal to be whatever you want! You could have a goal to lose weight, gain weight, build more muscle, set a new PR in the gym, try a new exercise, or a goal to even start going to the gym! Goals outside of the gym could be to read more, travel to a certain destination, buy those new shoes you saw, to buy a new house or car. Setting goals is more important than you think. There are many people in the world who work hard but may not feel like they are getting anywhere worthwhile. A reason for this could be that they haven’t sat down and really thought about what they want. To achieve something and stick to it takes a lot of mental work. You can achieve whatever you want if you actually believe in yourself and can imagine yourself in that head space of when you achieve what you wish. Manifesting it also goes along with seeing the big picture. We will talk about manifesting in a little.
How to Achieve A Goal
When it comes to setting a goal, there are always things that you need to do in order to achieve them. Sitting back and waiting won’t assist you in getting any closer to your goals. You have to take the next step in order to achieve whatever your heart desires. Our best advice to you would be to write down your goals whether it be gym related or outside of the gym and come up with what we like to call the “Game Plan”. Having a game plan is the best way to help you see the full vision or big picture. A game plan will get you moving along a lot faster and will help you break down your goal, plus have steps on how you’re going to get closer to your goal. The first thing to do is to figure out what you want and stay committed to it.
Creating goals, plus a step by step guideline on how you’re going to reach them is the perfect way to help you stay on track and help keep you on course. Consistency is key! If you don’t stay consistent with your game plan, then you will fall off track or give up all together. Be consistent and work hard for what you want and what you deserve! Review your goals daily, create a to-do list and then you can modify it in a way that will suit you best.
Be Specific
Setting clear, well defined goals will make you feel better. You will feel like you are actually working towards something. Doing this will keep you focused and helps you organize your time and all of your resources.
A SMART Goal is a great method to use when trying to set goals. The acronym if you don’t already know stands for:
S= SPECIFIC
M= MEASURABLE
A= ATTAINABLE
R= RELEVANT
T= TIME
Using the SMART Goal Method is a way to break down your goal and get more specific. Once the goal is broken down, then you can come up with ways you’re going to achieve you it… AKA “Game Plan”. We listed an example below…
“I would like to lose 10 pounds in 1 month. I will do this by losing 1-2 pounds weekly by eating better meals and exercising daily.”
How I Am Going to Reach My Goal:
- I will go to the gym and do cardio for 20-30 minutes 3-4 times a week
- I will do resistance training 4-5 days a week
- Meal Prep all of the food I will eat for the week and create a healthy, balanced diet
- Attend a group fitness class 1-2 times a week
- Make sure I get enough sleep (7-8 hours each night)
- Drink lots of water (1-2 L daily)
Breaking down the big goal will also help you feel less overwhelmed and feel like you will have a much better chance at achieving it. If you put together short term goals that you can regularly attain, you will also be much more likely to stay motivated over time and procrastinate less. Short term goals lay down a clearer path to success.
Manifesting
Manifesting is, “A manifestation is the public display of emotion or feeling, or something theoretical made real” (Vocabulary.com) For those who are spiritual or those who would like to become more spiritual, imagining yourself in the future in the headspace where you have already achieved your goal, will help you mentally so much. Your brain is so powerful that if you imagine yourself in the position of where you want to be in the future, you wire your brain to believe in that event and it doesn’t know the difference whether or not you are in that actual place, or thinking about it. That is how you get your brain juices flowing to help you get into that head space and into the right mindset. We are no brain experts but there are many videos, podcasts, articles and books explaining the great depth behind that science. If this is something that interests you and you want to learn more information, definitely check that out.
Rewards
Reward yourself for your hard work!! Everyone loves getting rewarded and recognized for hard work, consistency and dedication. So why not reward yourself?
Once you have set smaller short-term goals to lead up towards your long-term goal or big picture, its time to work! Once you hit a short-term goal you created, then give yourself a reward. If you continuously reward yourself then you will want to keep on going. You will stay on track and stay motivated. Buy yourself dinner, a new shirt, pair of shoes…anything!
Make 2020 your year. Create big goals, have big dreams and take steps to work towards them! Anything is achievable!