New Year’s Resolutions are notoriously known for never really being anything more than a good intention. We enter the New Year with new hope, motivation and a drive to make a difference, only to largely lose that ambition by the end of January… February if we’re lucky.
But why?
The reason as to why so many resolutions fail is that they are not followed up with a plan. We may set a goal to lose weight, we then tell all our family and friends…and that’s it.
Does this sound like you?
Take a look below at our 5 Step Guide to Goal Setting and New year’s Resolutions. Start creating your plan to ensure this year is different.
Step 1: Write it down!
A goal is nothing but a thought before it is written down. Writing down your goals makes them real and holds you accountable.
For example, our goal may be to lose weight, get fit, prioritize our health, or all of the above. It may also help to let someone close in on your goal. There is a good chance they are looking to make a change, and you can hold each other accountable.
Step 2: Refine it
The problem with our goal above is that it’s too ambiguous. How much weight do we want to lose? What’s our timeline? How will we know when we are “fit”? A more refined goal may be “Lose 10kg by September 30” or “Improve my 5km run time by 60 seconds by June 15”. These are both easily measurable, and progress can be tracked.
Step 3: Break it down
The next step is to break our large goal down into smaller goals. Using our fat loss example, we may break this down into “Lose 5kg by April 30”, and further into “Lose 2.5kg by February 28”. Not only does this keep us accountable to our timeline, but also enables us to assess how effective our current processes are (the next step).
Step 4: Create the process
A lack of process is to ensure the “death” of your New Year’s Resolution. The process is the combination of each individual step that is required to achieve your end goal. This may be something you formulate yourself, or something you consult with a trainer or health care professional if you’re unsure of the optimal method. For fat loss, our process steps may include
Go to the gym 3 times per week
Go for a 30 minute walk each day
Consume 1,500 calories per day
Reach 10,000 steps per day
Step 5: Ongoing Tracking, Assessing and Reevaluating
Now that our road to success has been mapped out, we need a way to track our progress. The tracking method will be specific to your process, and may include things such as a training/food diary, a step counter, a calendar, or all of the above. Our suggestion would be a combination of everything, and would look something like this…
A Digital Food Diary such as MyFitnessPal
A Process Calendar
A weekly/daily checklist of your process steps. Stick it on the fridge, and each day, tick off what has been completed.
A set of scales, measuring tape, or something specific to your goal.
Additional optional tools which may be useful include
A FitBit/SmartWatch to track your steps
Digital exercise tracking software such as Trainerize, or a small notebook where you can measure your training
This is a very analytical approach to goal setting and may seem confronting. This may be best discussed and formulated with the assistance of a Trainer. Otherwise a less formal approach may also be effective, but the key is to have some sort of process in place. You do not want to be flying blind and become disheartened when you don’t achieve your goals. Especially when it may not be your motivation or willingness, but an unclear or unfinished process.
We at Holeshot Fitness and Personal Training wish you all the success in achieving your goals in 2023!
