In life, we set ourselves goals constantly, every day. These goals are simply things that we need to achieve. Many people do not apply this process of thinking to their fitness regimes. Sure, at first, stating that your goal is ‘to get fitter’ may be okay, but after a while, that seems flimsy and undefinable. After all, we don’t state that our daily goals are simply to work, eat and sleep, we are far more specific than that.
Setting fitness goals both requires dedication and breeds it. It is a double edged sword, but once you have a clear path in your head and you start making your way along that path, you will find yourself striving for the next milestone. Dedication requires focus, and to be focused, you need something to focus on. Setting clear and achievable goals is the way to do this. Staying dedicated is easier if you keep things interesting, thereby keeping yourself engaged. When your training begins to become stale and repetitive, your focus may wane. Keep training interesting by varying routes, training partners, routines and times of day if you can. Look for inspiration from your heroes, read about how they stayed dedicated and focused, as well as how they set fitness goals.
Goals are important for a number of reasons. Firstly, they help you to assess where you are right now. You must have a clear understanding of your current situation to be able to set fitness goals. Secondly, they give you a course of action, a plan. When you have where you want to get to clear in your head, you can plan the precise route to reaching your goals. After all, we don’t walk out of our front doors and walk off down the street without knowing where we are heading. That seems crazy. So why head to the gym, pool, velodrome, or wherever, without knowing why you are there? Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, having goals is great for motivation – it gives you something to work towards.
The best way to set fitness goals is with small, achievable steps. If you set unrealistic goals, you will almost certainly fall short, and this is absolutely devastating for motivation and morale. You must dangle a carrot in front of yourself, just out of reach, and push yourself to grab it. So, instead of simply stating that you are training to ‘get fitter’ or to ‘lose weight’, define parameters, set an achievable PB for yourself, or a weight loss target. You could even set both of these at the same time. These could also be broken down into smaller goals, such as to get eight hours of sleep per night, to prepare your daily meals the night before, or to run at least 40 miles this week.
A great tip for managing and achieving your fitness goals is to keep a precise training and food diary. This allows you to see your progress, as well as where mistakes may have been made. Try setting small, achievable goals today, and watch your training and motivation improve in no time at all.
Born To Train can help you design, manage and achieve these goals, so you and your body can progress to new levels of fitness and happiness with our personal training plans.
Get in contact today and start your journey.
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