NEW YEAR, NEW YOU…
It’s that time of the year again when we all collectively agree to pretend that we’re suddenly going to transform into perfect, glowing versions of ourselves in 24 hours. Resolutions are set, gym memberships are activated, and Pinterest boards are filled with dreamy salads and motivational quotes. But by February, it’s usually just us, a bag of cheesy Doritos, and a firm belief that we were "probably too ambitious" in our goals.
Well, this year, let’s ditch the "I’m going to work out every day and eat only kale" approach. Instead, let’s go for bite-sized resolutions—tiny, achievable, totally doable goals that don’t make you want to cry by the end of January. Let’s talk fitness, nutrition, and self-care in ways that won’t make you feel like a failure before the first snow melts.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU DON’T ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL
Goal setting is essential for many areas of life and will help stay disciplined and feel rewarded if accomplished. Whether it's a fitness milestone, career advancement, personal growth, or even a creative pursuit, the anticipation of achieving something meaningful drives us forward. But what happens when things don’t go as planned? When you don’t achieve your goal, it’s easy to feel disheartened or even question your abilities. The key, however, is to use the experience as feedback, rather than see it as failure. With the power of reflection and intention you can move forward and reestablish your goal.
REASSESSING YOUR ANNUAL GOALS
It’s coming up on the middle of the year, and you have either already accomplished your yearly goals, or you are still working towards them. Both of these circumstances are perfectly normal, but the question is, how do you plan your next move? Exercise and training goals vary in difficulty, time, and measurement.
CELEBRATE YOUR GOAL LIKE A SOCCER PLAYER WOULD!
A goal is something that you should treat no differently than a soccer player treats their goals. When the goal is made or accomplished, you should celebrate with pure passion: run around like a little kid, do your favorite dance, and thank everyone who doubted you. Before you celebrate, though, you must make sure you decide upon a goal that will make you want to run around and scream at the top of your lungs.
SETTING NEW TRAINING GOALS AFTER A COMPETITION
Competing in your first competition or even just another one years down the road? Well, then, it's time to analyze and reevaluate your goals and what you’ve done. Whether it is hitting a new maximum weight, a new placing, or a new best time in an event, the time has come to restructure training and set forth new goals for yourself. The purpose at this point is to see what was done well and what might need improvement. This can come in the form of changing training frequency, entire movement patterns, training times, or trying an entirely new training style. Whatever you decide, the first step is the evaluation of yourself and previous training.
SMART GOALS: HOW TO BUILD YOUR GOALS FOR YOUR FITNESS JOURNEY
In order to make a plan for a fitness journey, we must know where we are going, for without a result to build towards, we are just wandering. With a final goal in mind, we can logically work backward from the end and establish our beginning. What steps do we take to get there, and how do we outline our path to our goal?