Tips to Maintain your New Years Fitness Goals!
I can’t believe it’s already the 2nd week of January and Old Man Winter is wreaking havoc! 2017 was a great year. I'm looking forward into reaching my goals for '18.
But, sometimes, I get overwhelmed by life and just wanna give up on my resolutions. I can understand if you've been there too. If you are wondering what you can do to help you stick with them or just maintain an active lifestyle, read on!
Here are 5 tips that I use that can help you stick to your fitness plan as well:
Tip #1: Make sure to clearly define your goals!
I know this seems really obvious but many people tend to make a goal of “becoming healthier” or “getting more active”. These broad goals are easier to dismiss because people tend to believe they are not making any progress as there are no definitive markers of success when reaching broad goals.
Instead, make clear and concise goals! Some examples could be exercising 3 times a week, eat more veggies or walking with a friend during your lunch break to get movement in! By setting more definite goals, it’ll be easier to complete them as you can more easily see how to achieve your goals. But also make sure to not rely heavily on a numeric goal because that could negatively affect how you perceive yourself, especially if you don’t reach that number! So have a clear goal but don’t sweat the actual number: as long as you can tell you are making some awesome progress!
Remember to make your goals realistic too! For example, if you haven’t been that active, don’t make a goal to run a marathon by next week. Creating unattainable goals is just as bad as making ambiguous goals because you will want to push yourself to achieve it while making incredible progress but still end up feeling upset. Although it isn’t actually bad that you can’t run a marathon in a week, you will create this mentality of failure, which only makes you less inclined with continuing or creating other goals.
Tip #2: Create a schedule!
Make sure to remember to include these goals in your schedules or planners! With the numerous apps and smartphones it should be easy to set daily reminders. By being able to visually see your commitments, it will make it easier for you to continue to stick to them. It takes out the time in your day when you have to worry about when you can possibly make time for it.
By scheduling in time to achieve these goals, h you will definitely be more inclined to stick to them because your mind will mark them as priorities. They would be just as important as the scheduled time you have for a lunch date or meetings!
Tip #3: Track your progress!
Remember to also track your progress! This will provide further motivation to stick with your current fitness goals because you can see how well you are doing! The tangible evidence helps people stick to their goals because they can realize how much they have grown in their endeavors. And don’t be discouraged if you don’t meet the end goal for a certain time frame! Any progress you have made proves that you are one step closer to your end goal! Achieving your goals is not reliant upon your willpower but rather encourages you to develop the right skills and patience that will lead to success.
Tip #4: Reward yourself!
Now don’t get me wrong: getting healthy and staying fit can be reward enough but if you’re like me, sometimes you need a bit more incentive. What better way than to treat yourself! These rewards shouldn’t be anything that would prevent you from continuing but should still be fun to further motivate you! For example, treat yourself to a fun day: a spa trip, a night out with your spouse, or movie marathon!
Taking a day off of your fitness plan can actually motivate you because it will be like a breathe of fresh air! After a day of relaxation, you will be more energized to continue on with your goals to better yourself and reach that next “treat yourself” day!
Tip #5: Talk about it!
Talk about your goals with your friends and family! It may seem daunting at first, but I promise you: they are all only here to support you and cheer you on! This will also help reduce stress if you think that the entire resolution may be too much. By talking it out, you’ll be able to see a fresh perspective and determine whether to keep going or if certain adjustments should be made! They can help you reason out your true goals and capabilities. So don’t be afraid to share with your loved ones!
Just one more note: remember the first step in making and sticking with these goals is to ensure you are doing them for the right reasons. Those who stick to their resolutions have their reasons based in truly wanting to change their lives in a way that will energize them – not deplete them. Make sure these goals are based in the want to better yourself FOR yourself, not for anyone else. By embarking on these goals for yourself, you’ll be more inclined to stick with them and the success will feel much better too!
I hope these tips were helpful! Good luck and just remember, sticking to the “plan” is great but as long as you feel you are making progress, continue on!