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You know that you need to get out and do more, but you’ve hit a roadblock in your health and wellness plans, and while you wake up each and every day saying to yourself, “today is the day that I’m going to [insert health activity here]!” you end up closing your eyes again and regretting it later in the day. Then you say to yourself, “okay, TOMORROW will be the day!”
Here’s the problem. Many people who want to start getting more active end up feel ing overwhelmed by the thought because they feel that they don’t have enough time in their busy schedule, they don’t know where to start, or they just have too high of an expectation for themselves. The sad part is that this often results in their good intentions rarely if ever materializing into any action or changed positive behaviour.
If you’re reading this and nodding your head in agreement, then keep reading because we’re going to share 3 things that you can start doing today to help you get out of your fitness slump and start winning your day, your week, your month, and even your year!
1. SET A S.M.A.R.T. GOAL
Setting a goal is much different than setting a S.M.A.R.T. Goal. An example of a regular goal:
I am going to be healthier this year.
Now compare that to a S.M.A.R.T. Goal:
I will release 25lbs by December 31, 2019, by completing a 10-Day Transformation, developing and sticking to a new healthy meal plan, making my lunches every workday, and hiring a personal trainer that I will see every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.
See the difference? Each letter of S.M.A.R.T. stands for something very important, so make sure that you write the following down and commit it to memory.
S – Specific
What is it exactly that you want to achieve? The more specific you are, the more clear you will be in terms of what you need to do in order to accomplish the goal, and the larger the chance you’ll actually get it.
M – Measurable
Numbers don’t lie so it’s very important that you put a number to whatever S.M.A.R.T. Goal you are setting. By putting a number to your S.M.A.R.T. Goal, you’ll be able to objectively measure your progress along the way and adjust as needed when the numbers are not going in the intended direction.
A – Attainable
Is your S.M.A.R.T. Goal actually possible to attain, or is it a pie-in-the-sky goal that even the most diligent and structured human being will never be able to achieve?
Be realistic with yourself. If you’re looking to release weight, then make it a healthy number of pounds that you want to release in the specified period of time you’ve given it.
R – Relevant
Is your goal actually relevant to your overall wellness or is it just some random goal you chose because it sounded cool? Not everyone needs to climb Mount Everest in order to say that they achieved something great in their lives. Most people are fine with choosing a goal that is more fitting into their lifestyle, their schedule, and their surroundings. Instead of climbing Mount Everest, maybe it’s walking 10km this Saturday.
T – Timely
Time is the only thing that matters in life, and it’s the only thing that is a constant for us. Adding a time deadline to your S.M.A.R.T. Goal will help you to keep track on your progress, and it will also cause you to take action more so than not having a time deadline at all.
Parkinson’s Law states that:
Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.
What this means is that if you give yourself 2 hours to complete a task, it will take you 2 hours. But if you give yourself only 1 hour, you will complete the same task within 1 hour. The only difference is your efficiency and focus.
2. BE ACCOUNTABLE TO SOMEONE
People tend to stay on track and complete their tasks knowing that they have someone that they are accountable to. That’s why coaches and personal trainers exist. They help people to remain focused on their goals, and provide external feedback and guidance during the process.
When choosing an accountability partner, choose someone who will not be afraid to tell you the truth because it’s the truth that will set you on your path, as long as you are open to receiving it. Your accountability partner should also be supportive and understanding, and be able to push you just beyond your comfort zone in order to achieve forward momentum and results.
3. DO SOMETHING YOU ENJOY
There’s no sense in beating yourself into doing something that you don’t enjoy doing, as it will just end up in you quitting, even if you had the best accountability partner in the world.
When it comes to improving your health, it’s about all the small things that you do every day that add up to the results that you’re getting.
Start by making a quick list of things that you COULD BE doing that will improve your health. Then beside each item, write a number from 1 to 10, where 10 represents the highest level of enjoyment for you.
From there, you will begin to see what makes sense for you to start doing right away, and when you start tackling that list, what you’ll find is that even the smallest things bring on remarkable results within a short period of time.
And when you see results, your mind will change and that will positive affect your behaviours and actions, and you’ll naturally want to do more on that list in order to continue getting better and better results.
Here’s to you and the end of your slump! Now get out there and enjoy the weather! 😉
