How To Reach Your Fitness Goals

Posted on October 4th, 2008.

One of my adorable clients, (I swear… I get to work with the most amazing women ever!) wrote on her personal blog the other day, one of her fitness goals. When I read it, I was so happy – I felt a little like a proud mother! 

 

The goal she made for herself (among the many), is that by the end of October she’ll be able to do 36 – what she calls – MAN PUSHUPS! I love, love, LOVE the goal she set for herself and how she went about it! This is why:

 

1. It is specific.  Creating goals that are vague or general, like “I want to lose weight” is not going to keep you as motivated, as will having a specific goal to work toward. When goals are vague, you can’t really make a solid game plan as to how you are going to achieve them. It is imperative that you get crystal clear on what you want to achieve in regards to your health. Do you want 18% body fat? Do you want your love handles to disappear? Do you want to get off your blood pressure medicine? Decide exactly what you want your fitness goals to be, and you will be equipped with the tools to actualize your goals! 

 

2. She wrote it down.  Every time you make a goal for yourself, you think of it first in your mind. When you take that goal and move it from your mind to paper, you automatically start visualizing what it will be like to accomplish that goal. It takes you a step further than just a fleeting thought or desire of something you would like to achieve. Another benefit of writing down your goals is that it creates a commitment for yourself – especially if you share it publicly like my client did. Her goal was written down on her blog for all to see, which will naturally make her dedicated to reaching it… after all, when you say you’re going to do something, you want people to know that you will get it done. Am I right? 

 

3. There is a deadline. My client’s goal, was not that she would be able to whip out 36 push ups at some future time in her life. She has given herself exactly four weeks to meet that goal and prove to herself that yes, she can do 36 man pushups. This is fabulous because: 1.) It is close enough in the future that she will stay motivated and pumped up to getting it done, and 2.) Having a deadline will prevent her from procrastinating and putting it off for a later date, and 3.) A goal without a deadline is merely a wish. If you are serious about your fitness goals, you have got to make deadlines for yourself. It will push you and keep you going when sometimes you’d rather quit.  

 

4. It’s realistic. Making goals that are realistic and attainable, yet enough of a challenge to push your limits is the only way to go when deciding what your fitness goals should be. Creating goals that are unrealistic, nearly impossible, or extremely far fetched will only cause you grief and disappointment as an end result.

 

Here’s an example that will explain why: Right now, I am a 5′7″, 30 year old girl, who weighs in the range of what a healthy 5′7″, 30 year old girl should weigh. (Do you like how I still call myself a girl? Hey – it makes me feel good about myself, so why not?) However, after my second child was born, I made a fitness goal for myself, that was utterly ridiculous and nearly impossible for my type of body frame to achieve. I wanted to reach a weight that, (thank goodness I realize this now), would place me in an “un-healthy” and a “not-so-pretty” range, considering my height. In my attempt to reach this goal, I worked and worked and worked… and although I got close, I never got close enough. I finally became so discouraged and disappointed in myself for not reaching my goal, that I felt like a failure. I was angry with myself, thought negative thoughts toward my body, and felt down in the dumps. Well, not long ago, I ran across a picture of myself during that particular stage in life. As I studied the picture, the image I saw was a lean, healthy looking, 24 year old girl, who had strong muscles, a firm body and was at a great weight. Yet, when this picture was taken, I was so preoccupied with reaching my unrealistic goal, that I was completely blind to the fact that I had already reached a positive, physical place! I missed out on the happiness I could have been enjoying!

 

Being so focused on a target that I couldn’t reach, made it impossible for me to appreciate the bulls eye I had already hit!

 

By creating expectations for yourself that are reasonable, you will have a positive experience as you work toward achieving them. You will be proud of yourself along the way and you will feel joy and satisfaction when you reach the point that you want to reach. We all know what goals are realistic for ourselves and our situation. Don’t try to be an over-achiever by setting goals which are truly out of reach. Instead of setting yourself up for frustration, set yourself up for success!  

 

I am completely confident - that in four weeks, when I ask Karmel to drop down and give me 30 “man-push ups” she will no doubt be able to do it. This smart woman has made a goal, committed herself to achieving it, and knows that it is in her reach to get there! Thanks Karmel, for being such a great example for how we should think and act when it comes to making and accomplishing goals for our physical health!

 

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