When I saw this quote it got me thinking…

There are values in setting goals… The number 1 value  that it adds to our lives is the person we become while on the journey of setting goals and achieving & reaching them.

Today I want to share my personal view and opinion on the importance of setting goals for YOURSELF. We can so easily get discouraged or derailed from our goals the moment things get tough or we slipped up. We tend to experience the emotions of failure and disappointment in self the moment we slipped up! Whether you missed a workout or made a bad choice when it came to nutrition. Maybe your cheat meal ended in a cheat day and then snowballed to a cheat weak or month?! Can you relate, have you experienced the feeling of condemnation for not having enough willpower to succeed the first time? Well I have and its a terrible feeling indeed.

NOW how can we overcome this pattern and make it sustainable to reach our goal?

You can have the willpower to set out a short/long term goal BUT without a plan and a sustainable vision you are most likely to stumble and fail.

My advice is to take your overall goal and to break it up into smaller realistic goals…Let this be a journey and embrace it as an investment in yourself. Be realistic with yourself. This way you will be sure to reach your ultimate goal.

Then, set time frames for each and be sure to focus on them one step at a time. Once you overcome the first hurdle then think of and take on the second goal towards the “BIGGER goal”. You know yourself. Maybe you perform on rewards. Whatever it is do this for yourself. e.g If I lose 2 kg by week 3 I will buy myself a new training top. No matter what you DON’T purchase that top if you haven’t reached your personal goal. I promise you will take accountability for your decisions and this will form part of your commitment to what is important to you!

Your nutrition and training don’t have to be complex. By sticking to a fundamental, realistic, and systematic approach to your goals you are more likely to achieve them. Don’t over complicate things – This is often my problem and as a result I jump between diets and training programs. Don’t go there. Get a program, stick to it and pull it through! Get to know your body and what works for YOU.

I’m sharing this and believe it is a good read for those in need of change.

SET GOALS AND DEVELOP A PLAN

First and foremost, you need a plan that is curtailed to your needs, goals, and lifestyle. You can’t pick up your husband’s, brother’s, or cousin’s workout plan and expect it to work. Before you jump in, sit down and think about what you want and why. If you’re not absolutely positive about what you want or why you want it, then you’ll struggle to follow through. It might seem like a really basic first step, but it’s the one most people fail to do.

You also need to be realistic. I see too many people with the get-back-into-my-high-school-jeans-by-tomorrow mindset fall off the wagon. Sure that’s a great goal for the long term, but you need to ask yourself: What am I capable of right now? If you are 50 or more pounds overweight, thinking you’ll be down to a size 32 in a matter of weeks will set you up for failure. Instead of focusing on that big, 50-pound goal, take a smaller bite. Try, “I will lose five pounds by the end of the month.” It may not be a drastic change, but achieving it will feel great and will serve as excellent motivation.

Additionally, choose a goal that bolsters your health and well-being and doesn’t just focus on the way you look. By improving your overall health, you’ll feel better, sleep better, think better, and live better!

Successful goal-achievers also pay constant attention to their progress. Write down your goal in hardcopy journal, in a phone app, or on BodySpace! This way you can revisit and assess how you’re doing.

True, training is probably the most difficult aspect to figure out. When I first began, I would walk into the gym and train my chest, biceps, and triceps. I would do this every single day. If this sounds familiar, that’s OK—you have to start somewhere.

This year, instead of doing some biceps curls and then heading to the treadmill, follow this basic system:

Like I said before, the most important aspect of training is to support your goals. If you want to gain muscle, aim for longer rest periods between sets, exercise with heavier weights, and shoot for lower rep ranges. If you want to shed body fat, train with lighter weight, high reps, and short rest periods.

Remember, this doesn’t need to be super complex! It is better to keep it simple. The key is constant progress. Each week try more weight, more reps, or shorter rest periods. Record your workouts so you can keep track of your progression.

Although resistance training will be the most effective way to achieve your physique goals, I like to encourage cardio. If your goal is to gain muscle, keep your cardio sessions to just three times per week. Use high-intensity interval training (HIIT) techniques to ensure the preservation of your hard-earned muscle. If you want to lose body fat, I still suggest HIIT, but I’d increase the session frequency to 4-6 times per week and increase the duration.

Finally, you have to rest. Spending days away from the gym will allow your body adequate time to rebuild and repair. You can schedule rest days whenever they best fit your schedule, but don’t leave them out!

Nutrition might be the last thing I’ve written about, but it’s the most important part of your progress—it always trumps training. Despite its importance, people tend to overlook it because they “work so hard” in the gym. You can kill yourself every day, but if you supplement that training with cupcakes and hot chocolate, you won’t see gains or losses where you want them.

I also see people eat too little. The point of your fitness resolution is to make lasting change. Nobody wants to lose 50 pounds and then gain it all back again, right? A month-long liquid diet or 1,000-calorie plan might work in the short term, but they won’t provide you the nutrition for a healthy mind and body or the building blocks for a lifestyle change.

Don’t make it complicated. Simply put, your calories should come from all the major macro-nutrients: fat, carbohydrates, and protein. You need all of them— there isn’t a magic way to meet your goal by eliminating one or the other! Eat more protein than you think you need, don’t skimp on complex carbohydrates, and don’t skip healthy fats. Don’t worry about counting calories just yet. Get in the gym, eat whole, nutrient-dense food, drink plenty of water, and cut out the processed crap.

Similar to goal-setting and training, it’s important to keep track of your diet in a journal, app, or BodySpace. Write down what you eat, how you feel, and any other aspects of your nutrition you’d like to chart.

We covered the essentials, but there’s one more thing I need to cover. To be a success story, find something fitness-related that you enjoy doing. Whether it’s Zumba, CrossFit, bodybuilding, cycling, or powerlifting, do what you like. If you hate what you’re doing, then it’s difficult to be motivated to get back in and do it again. Furthermore, your fitness and your goals are personal. Make sure whatever you do is going to help you be the best you.

You have the tools to succeed. Now go do it!

Resource: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/simplicity-for-success-a-guide-to-winning-fitness-resolutions.html

SMART GOAL SETTING:

S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Accountable
R – Realistic
T – Time-frame

From my side my friends, I want to encourage you to take up this goal, challenge yourself and go out and DO IT FOR YOURSELF. For no other reason but YOURSELF. If you failed before so be it. Don’t dwell on the past or where you find yourself at this moment. Take it one small step at a time and be proud of every single healthier choice that you make.

We all mess up some point or another – I did too but NOW is the time to get back up, look up and NEVER EVER GIVE UP on yourself.

Be passionate about what you do and always give your best. You deserve to look and feel your best. Value yourself enough to make the changes toward becoming the BEST VERSION OF YOU!

I believe in you, so now believe in yourself.

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Have a fit and fabulous week everyone.

Claudine