Goal Setting:

I wanted to talk alittle about positive goal setting in the posting. Goal setting is one of the most important aspect of any fitness program. There must be some reason for you to stick to the program. The goal must be personal and meaniful if you want to see results. It is easy to set a goal of losing a certain number of pounds. This is a common goal that I hear very often. It is a good start but we need to dig deeper than that. We need to set behavioral goals that will result in losing weight. Saying you are going to lose 20lbs is good but what are you going to do to get there. Instead set goals that are part of the process. For example, if my goal is weight loss I can say that I am going to do 4 days of cardio a week for 30 minutes. This can be a goal for 1 month. If you can do it for one month you can make adjustments to it like going for longer or harder. You can also give yourself penalties for days you miss. For everyday you miss the next session has to be doubled or at a higher intensity to make up for it. Whatever behavioral goals you set make sure they are S.M.A.R.T. goals. This means they are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. An example of a smart goal could be "for the next 4 weeks I will run on the treadmill at a 2 degree incline for 30 minutes 3 days a week." This goal is specific because it says exactly what I am going to do for cardio. It is measurable because I will be going at a certain incline for a certain amount of time. It is attainable and realistic for my abilities but it will challenge me. And finally it is timely because I know when the goal will end and needs to be reevaluated. Next time you try and set goals for yourself make sure they are based on actions to reach an ultimate goal.

Mike