When trying to improve your fitness and get in shape, setting a goal is one of the best ways to get motivated. It will ensure that you put maximum effort into your workout and nutrition plan to get the results that you want!
Giving yourself a set time period makes you accountable for your actions and will help keep you on track. Let’s say you give yourself 3 months to lose 20lbs of body fat. Each day that passes is now one 90th of the allotted time that you have to complete that goal. Having a set time period makes you realise that your time is limited and every single day counts!
The end goal provides you with a constant reminder of why you are giving it your all in the gym and eating a strict diet; it makes all the hard work you are putting in feel completely worthwhile. Working out and dieting no longer become chores and instead become a necessity if you don’t want to fail.
Rob and myself recently took part in a charity fashion show event where we put our physiques on display in front of over 300 people. We had months to prepare for the big day, which gave us plenty of time to reduce our body fat after an 8 month muscle-building period.
Not only was the show a great experience, it provided us with a goal and a fixed timescale to achieve that goal. A goal doesn’t have to be a physical event, it can simply be a set number of days from today by which time you WILL have achieved your goal whether that’s fat loss, strength gain or cardiovascular fitness.
Key Points For Setting Goals
- Be realistic – No normal person can expect to gain 50lbs of solid muscle naturally in 6 weeks! Set yourself realistic but optimistic goals, then try to exceed your own expectations.
- Give yourself enough time – There’s no getting around the fact that change takes time; if you’ve spent the last 5 years in bad shape you’re not going to achieve your ideal physique in a couple of weeks. 12 Weeks is a reasonable amount of time to see some significant changes.
- Set a measurable goal – Decide what you want to improve and by how much, then try to measure or estimate it at the start so you can track your progress. This may be anything from timing a run, writing down your max lifts, weighing yourself, or taking a progress photo.
- Make a plan – When you know what you want to achieve, decide what the necessary steps are. For example if it’s fat loss, plan what your caloric intake and macronutrients will look like over the time period of your goal.
- Stick to it! – There’s no point going to all the effort of setting a goal if you don’t stick to it. Always keep your eyes on the prize and remember why you started. You will thank yourself for not quitting when your hand is held high at the finish line!
Summary
Setting realistic goals and timescales makes you accountable for your actions and will help you along your path to success. Giving yourself a limited timescale gives you an “every day counts” mentality which ensures you cannot fail!
Good luck!
Photos by Ferla Paolo Photography