3 Tips to Crush Your 2023 Fitness Goals
There is an overwhelming feeling of change in the air this time of year. As the calendar changes, we set new goals for improvement for the journey ahead. Accompanying this, however, is a feeling of missed goals that were set at the start of the previous year. Especially fitness. Countless times, we set a goal to “get in shape this year” and yet we constantly miss. From my experience, I also notice another common theme on these missed goals. It is less about the physical demand of these goals that determine the success, but more the mental. We are setting goals that are not truly defined, and are approaching them in the wrong manner. This then takes a mental toll on us, and we ultimately become demotivated and cannot form a routine. With this, I wanted to offer some tips from my experience that will help you start, or hopefully continue, your fitness journey.
Tip #1: Define your goals and be specific.
Fitness is a relative term, and thus so is “being fit”, so make sure you are defining exactly what you are looking to accomplish. Each person has their own goals, and so each step of your process needs to have a defined goal. Each time you get ready to work out, in any way, you want to know exactly what you are looking to accomplish.
Additionally, you want to know exactly what the long term goal or the even the “end result” will be. Perhaps there is a certain target weight, or maybe it’s a body fat percentage. You are the captain on this journey, so although you may need help defining these goals, you get to decide where you’re setting course to. Hard and fast numbers will help. Get a baseline of where you are now, and where you want to be in one month, one year, etc.
Tip #2: Keep your goals and execution realistic
I want to echo the point that progress is progress. Not matter how big or small. If you are just starting your journey, you don’t need to dive all the way in head first. Most people will, and that is one reason they quickly fall off. They try to work out 6 to 7 days a week, when they haven’t worked out in months. They dive right into diets full fledged on the drop of a dime. They go great for about 2 weeks, maybe 3, and then they lose motivation. They eat so clean for weeks then feel the need to go on a junk food binge and it is all downhill from there.
The mental stress ultimately leads to failing to really get started, simply because we couldn’t ease ourselves in. When we get too caught up on what’s ahead, we forget to look back and see our progress. But if we are setting unrealistic goals, or attempting to go too deep too quick, we can easily forget that there has already been progress made. Realistic goal setting is important, that’s where successes can be celebrated.
Tip #3: It is a fitness journey, and a long one.
Even when you first sit down and specifically set your goals and know where you’re headed, the journey has only begun. After that, it becomes time to execute, which we know is the hardest part. Part of this is because we expect to get major results every day. There will be times where you feel you are not progressing fast enough. It is in those times we need to remember that fitness isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. There is also a need to change things up along this journey, so don’t be afraid to try some different types of workouts in order to find something that will help keep you motivated.
Although this is not the only advice I can give you, I always strive to motivate through education. Understanding the mental struggle of fitness is a good place for me to start, in order to help you start (or continue). You may even take a break or fall off the wagon from time to time, we all do. But remember, the difference between success and failure in this life is how you respond when things get difficult.
#liveunbreakable