Good morning strong humans!! I hope everyone had a productive start to the week! Yesterday was super cool for me, because I got to see TONS of PRs from members at the gym. Since I don’t really have a big fitness goal this year, it has been really cool for me to sit back and watch clients and members crush theirs. And of course, help them out where I can! I mean, just look at this board of back squat PRs from yesterday! So freaking cool.
On the subject of goals, let’s talk about them! Do you have them? Both long and short-term? Are they measurable, or super broad? “I want to be in shape by this summer.” Ok, that’s a great goal, but how are you planning to decide if you met that goal or not? Also, are they achievable, given your timeline? “I want to drop 20 pounds in 3 weeks for a wedding I’m in.” Probably not achievable, especially if you are doing it in a healthy way. And lastly, is it specific? “I just want to be fit.” Doesn’t everyone?! What does “fit” mean to you?
Let’s start with that. Defining your goal. Be super specific when laying out your goals. “I want to lose 5 pounds and 3% body fat, by September, for a wedding I am in.” That is a specific, measurable, realistic goal. If you want to “get in shape,” think about what that means to you. Do you want to complete a 5K run without walking? Do you want to be able to hike a mountain comfortably with your family? Do you want to consistently be able to do 4 fitness classes per week instead of your usual 3? These are all things that should cross your mind while goal setting, so that you can decide whether or not you achieve your goal.
I believe that long term goals are very important, but our short term goals are even more so, because achieving our smaller goals in the short term are ultimately what leads us to our successes in the long run. Set both! Think about what you want to accomplish in 5 years, in 1 year, in 3 months, in 6 weeks, in 1 week, and today. Work from the top down. What is your ultimate DREAM. If you aren’t still dreaming, fix that first! We are never too old to dream. Now how can we set shorter term goals in order to fit into that big picture?
If the ultimate goal is to be a healthier, fitter human, set smaller goals to get you there over the next few months. For example, today I will make healthy food choices and go to the gym to exercise for 45 minutes. Over the next month, I will work out 3 times per week, for at least 30 minutes per day. In 6 weeks, I want to lose 5 pounds and be able to run a 5K race. In one year, I want to have lowered my cholesterol level by enough to get off my meds. Boom. Long term and short term, measurable, realistic goals!
Set goals in all facets of life! Personal goals, fitness goals, health goals, career goals, etc! Break them down just like I talked about above. What can you do today to help you take a step towards the big picture goal?
I know I said earlier that I don’t have a big fitness goal this year, but that doesn’t mean I am giving up on fitness. In the past, I have set numbers I wanted to hit on certain lifts, competitions I wanted to qualify for, gymnastics movements I wanted to get better at, etc. Now that I’m not competing anymore, those things aren’t as important to me, but I still want to maintain a super active lifestyle, and I still want to be strong! Muscle is beautiful and badass. Mine’s not going anywhere, anytime soon!
To focus myself, I have committed to lifting at least 3 times per week, continuing to do CrossFit a couple times a week, but also mixing it up with running, swimming, and biking a bit more, and adding in fun activities on the weekends.
My other goals for the year include developing my own website…check ;), with the long term intention of my blog being super high traffic and successful! Also, I am working on my continuing education credit for my personal training recertification in May. After that, I will plan to find another fitness or nutrition certification to add to my repertoire. Lastly, I am working on starting a family! My husband and I are finally ready to have kids, so hopefully that will come in the near future!
I set short term goals each week on a check list (literally using the notes section on my phone—super high tech, I know) that will help me towards accomplishing each of these goals. I have weekly fitness and nutrition goals, blog goals, and personal goals that I check off as I complete them. It is so incredibly satisfying to cross things off (or delete them, like me) from your to-do list as you do them. If you don’t already do this, you NEED to start. A to-do list is a great reminder and tool for keeping you focussed from week-to-week or day-to-day.
Also, find you a person, or persons, to talk out your goals with! If you never tell anyone about your goals, who is going to keep you accountable? It helps to discuss your goals with a spouse, friend, or family member, because they may provide you with some necessary support in reaching your goal. Or they can be your cheerleader along the way! My husband is 100% that person for me. I have always been super open, no matter how crazy or far-fetched a goal may seem, about what I want to do. He has always supported me, no matter what, in whatever way that he is capable of. I mean, the man helped me quit my full-time office job, to move out to Houston, Texas, where I knew NO ONE, to pursue my passion for fitness and become a personal trainer, before we were even engaged. I was a little more reckless back then, haha. BUT, I am SO happy he was there pushing me to do what I loved, because this is what makes me happy. I love my job and I love helping people change their lives. Had it not been for that dream, and for Shawn helping me through it, I might still be stuck in a position that I would have been miserable in!
I was literally never going to post this picture, but it is the perfect representation of Shawn. He convinced me to do this goofy ass pose for the photo. The BIGGEST DORK, but I love him.
If you don’t have a “Shawn”, or a person who is there for you for some sort of support, LET ME BE YOURS! I want you to succeed! I want to be your cheerleader through the process, and I want to be real with you to help you line up your goals in a manageable, achievable way. If you need to set up a goal consultation with ME, check out the services tab above, and get on my calendar today.
Happy goal setting and crushing, my friends! Shout out your 2019 (AND BEYOND) goals in the comments section!!
