Ok, so it’s that time of year again. The holidays are over, the parties are done and it’s time for you to think about you. As the clock winded down to those final moments in 2017, you began to think about all of the accomplishments this past year and the ones you want to achieve this upcoming one. One of them being, a level of fitness higher than last years. So today, I want to give you a few tips on how to achieve your fitness goals and get what you want out of 2018.

 

Tip 1. Set Goals and monthly milestones

 

Setting a goal and monthly milestone is such an overstated but under practiced concept. Many people set fitness goals but often fail, in the application. They fail usually due to improper planning, strategizing and documenting of progress. So let’s use an example of how to initiate and keep a goal on track. So, let’s say your goal is to lose 10lbs and the plan is to head to the gym a few days out of the week to do that. Now this is a great goal and chances are you are very excited about the end result of losing that weight, but this should not be the focus entirely. There should be smaller milestone goals along the way and strategies you use to get you there. Two good milestone or monthly strategies you can use is taking pictures of yourself and measuring your waist intermittently.

 

Pictures are a true way of showing your progress. By taking a picture at the beginning and end of each month it will show you if your headed in the right direction. Pictures do not lie and they can be a major confidence booster or larger motivator to you overall goal. Now, as for waist measuring, you can do this one of two ways. The first is with a measuring tape designed for tailors (chances are you have seen one or had one used on you); and the second, noticing if your pants or belt notches have become more loose. Like the pictures you can check these monthly and make sure you are headed in the right direction.

 

Now while these milestone points and strategies are specific to weight loss, the concept can be applied to any goal of yours, I.E. “I want to stronger, more flexible, or healthier. You just need to set the goal and create small checkpoints along the way to keep you moving ahead and on track.

 

Tip 2. Figure out what may get in your way.

 

When setting yourself a fitness goal it is expected that you will fantasize about being in a state of bliss once you have reached that accomplishment. We all do this. Now, while I don’t disagree with those thoughts and lofty expectations that come with a goal, you have to be able to manage them with your busy life. So, after setting that fitness goal come back to it the next day and ask, “What barriers might get in the way of reaching this”? Goal setting is not about uprooting your entire way of life, it’s about getting a little better each day. So, begin to assess what may get in the way and figure out the best possible solution around that.

 

For example, a fitness goal I am setting for myself this upcoming year is, I want to be able to do a freestanding handstand for one minute. Now a problem that I know will come into play is that I know I don’t have everyday to practice, because of my busy schedule and long commute. So, after looking at my schedule carefully, I plan on working on it for about 20 minutes every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. These days have proved to be the least busy and where I can fit the practice in.

 

Now you don’t have to spend everyday and hours at the gym, you just have to get there. If your prefer that hour, great, but if you can’t that’s ok get whatever you can in that day. (Also,don’t forget that you can give yourself 5 minute increments throughout the day. If you get 4 or 5 of those, that adds up to a big number for the day). Remember, it’s about the moments you stay on track with whatever time you have.

 

Tip 3. Keep it simple in the gym

 

Keep it simple at the gym, plain and simple. But most of the time people feel that they need to do the most outrageous and complex workouts designed by some russian dude with the last name Smolov, where he preaches more is better. But really, more, can just equal more. More stress, more work, more of what you don’t need. So, let’s keep the fitness thing easy by doing a few things.

 

First, let’s start with days of the week. If you haven’t been there in a while start with 2-3 days a week. A good question during that early phase of getting back into it is asking yourself “Do I feel 90% confident I can get to the gym x times in a week?” If the answer is yes, perfect start there! If the answer is no, set the number a little lower so you know you can succeed.

 

Second, get in what you can and make the most of your time. An hour is great, but 20-30 minutes can be just as good if you have the right intention (see Pat’s blog post on program design for more on this http://www.coreprinciples-sc.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=4058&action=edit ). Everything you do should reflect that goal you set for yourself. I know at some point this new year you and I will fall prey to Instagram cool stuff. Even though that’s there and you may want to try it, just be consistent when you pick exercises that fit in with your goal and that you can accomplish in a reasonable amount of time.

 

So there you have it, three tips on how to keep you on track with that fitness goal. Just remember, that you have a goal and you deserve to reach it.