Setting yourself up for Success

With schools holidays coming to an end, gyms are going to see a great influx of people over the coming weeks as many parents are itching to get back into the gym, back to their fitness routines, get some sanity back into their life’s and looking to shed those extra pounds they have put on over the holiday period. So what are you looking to achieve from your fitness routine over the next few months? Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to tone up? Do you want to have more energy? or do you want to put on alittle bit of muscle? I’m assuming you have an idea of what you want to achieve, but how much have you really thought about it?

Setting goals is a key aspect for the majority of things you set out to achieve in life, and without goals we don’t really have a clear vision of where you want to be or what progress you are making. Individuals that write down their goals are said to be 6 times more likely to achieve them!! So if you are looking at losing weight or toning up, don’t ignore this simple fact! - Write down your goals and be specific.

It is important to have a clear ‘vision’ of where you want to be. Everyone wants to lose weight and from experience, when I sit down with most prospective clients and ask them what their goals are they want to lose weight, but don’t really have a clear vision as to how much or by when. A clear ‘vision’ will give you a direction and a sense of purpose, which will help you stay focused.

Goal Setting

Have a think about your goals and aspirations for a few minutes....Now let’s build a good vision together.

1. Set an outcome goal – For example what weight do you want to be? What body fat do you want to be? – Write this down as a positive, i.e. the weight I want to be is ..... NEVER use the word lose, this is a negative word that has no place getting you where you want to be

2. Set a time frame – When do you want to achieve this by? Keep this realistic, you’re not going to lose a stone in a week. My recommendation for healthy weight loss is around 1-2lbs per week, if you lose more that is awesome, but this isn’t always achievable.

3. Visualise where you want to be – Have a vision of what you want to look like. Use your imagination, have a picture, this could be of you in the past or a person you admire to look like.

4. Understand your motives – Write down all the positives that getting to your goal will have on your life. These are great motivators and you should deeply consider these. For any success you need to believe you are worth it...And believe me YOU ARE.

5. Write down and log your progress – If you are serious about your goals, record your progress in a notebook, i.e. weight lost, body fat, measurements, training logs, weights lifted, distance covered etc, these are get motivators as everyone likes to see progress.

Process Goals

Process goals are really actions, they are things you are going to focus on in the next few weeks to help you to get to your long term goal. These will need reviewed more frequently and once you achieve these, tick them off and set yourself new ones.

Some examples of process goals are –

• Drink 2 litres of water a day

• Attend the gym 3 times a week

• Eat breakfast

• Get 8 hours of sleep a night

• Do 10,000 steps a day.

Setting process goals is critical for success, you must be aware of what you are going to do to achieve your goal. Set up to 3 process goals per week, no more, as it needs to be realistic and if you set too many you are almost putting too much pressure on yourself and will inevitably give up.

To ensure you are moving forwards it is important to have a process to follow. My recommendation for this process is PLAN – ACTION – REVIEW. Have a clear vision and process goals, this gives you a sound plan. Put these into action, and see what works best for you. Review your progress weekly, ideally at the same time and same day each week. Lastly if you feel you are struggling or would like more information and help with your goal setting, or feel you need someone to be accountable for you, please feel free to contact us at buildabodypt.co.uk for more information about our products and services, or book in for a FREE lifestyle and fitness consultation.