Setting New Year Goals… So You Actually Achieve Them!

The inception of the New Year is imminent which means New Year’s resolutions will soon come to mind, if not already. Despite my belief that new goals or resolutions shouldn’t surface just because January is coming around (they should occur any day and any time), proper goal preparation and introspection on what you desire to achieve is critical for success. Research has shown that at least 80% of people’s resolutions have failed by the end of January. If you have a big physique composition goal in mind like losing weight, you can see how rare these ambitions are actually accomplished in the long term.

So, unless you want to be one of those people who fall of the wagon by February, listen closely, and you’ll learn how you can steer your goals on the track to victory.

1) Write your goals down. Seriously, take out a pen and piece of paper, write down your goal and put it somewhere where you can be reminded by it daily, like on the refrigerator. Unless you physically write it down, it’s not a goal to be taken seriously, but rather more of a fantasy.

2) Be specific. “Losing fat,” “Toning up,” or “Getting big muscles” are unclear and lack detail. Those phrases could imply a ton of different things. Instead, have a precise idea of what you want your goal to be. For example, “I want to lost 15 lbs. of fat” or “I want to add 25 lbs. of weight to my bench press max” are specific goals.

3) Have a timeline. Your goals need to be measured somehow; otherwise, your banking on the fact that it will be accomplished, eventually. This isn’t good enough because “eventually” basically means never. So, if you want to lose 15 lbs., attach a date to it based on your level of commitment. For example, “I want to have lost 15 lbs. of fat 25 weeks from when I began my fitness program.” Now we’re certain that if our behaviors fall into place, our goal can be achieved by the specific date we’ve chosen.

4) Realistic. Having a specific goal with a timeline that you’re 100% committed to achieving is great, but perhaps the biggest issue that most people face is realism. Saying “I want to lose 15 lbs. of fat in 8 weeks” or “I want to build 10 lbs. of muscle in 4 weeks” are unfortunately unrealistic. Part of the reason people fail is because they have lofty goals and expect them to be completed in a relatively short period of time. Being knowledgeable about what’s reasonable and what isn’t is most likely the limiting factor, which is why working with a personal trainer or someone who has experience is advisable. Make sure you do some research to compare your goal to and learn if it’s practical. By the way, 0.5 - 1 lbs. of weight loss per week is considered average progress, so don’t stress out if the scale looks slow!

Once you’ve established your specific and realistic goal, you need to discover what the proper steps are to get there. Having a high commitment level is necessary, but your daily behaviors will ultimately dictate how successful you are. So, write down your goal and then focus on your behavior goals. Examples of behavior goals would be “I will reduce my daily energy intake by 300 calories,” “I will workout at least 3 days a week,” or “I will check the scale once every Monday morning and make adjustments based on my results.” Because you have complete control over these behaviors, they will shape the path to your ultimate end goal.

Follow these steps, find what personally motivates you, stay committed and you can keep your New Year’s resolutions alive beyond January. Look for outside assistance through a friend, gym partner or family member to support you in any way you need to reach the success you desire so much.

Best wishes to all of you and Happy New Year!

Justin Janoska just so happens to be a passionate fitness trainer certified by NASM, as well as a sports & exercise nutritionist, and would love to hear from you on Twitter & Facebook! Make sure you check out his website HERE… and if U wanna know more about Justin Janoska OR anything else, U can always email us at Questions@FitPerez.com!!

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