2015 is right around the corner and many will be making New Year’s resolutions. I am going to let you in on a little secret, “New Year’s resolutions do not work.” They never work for many reasons. The reasons range from daily pressures, responsibilities, boredom, and fear of failure. However, the #1 reason New Year’s resolutions fail is lack of accountability. It is easy to give up when no one is watching or holding you accountable.
So now that we have talked about what doesn’t work, lets talk about what does work! GOAL SETTING! While there is no one method of goal setting that will work for everyone there are a few simple steps that you can take to increase your chances of success. Some of these steps may seem simple but implementing them into your goal setting plan will boost your chance of accomplishing your goals!
1. Set Realistic Goals
When working on goal setting, creating realistic goals is the key element in determining your success. Setting unrealistic goals will only put you on the path to failure. It is human nature to feed off success and accomplishments. Therefore, to obtain your goals they must be realistic, but challenging enough to keep you motivated and focused to conquer your goals.
2. Set Milestones
Setting milestones along the way to your long-term goals is very important. In order to achieve a long-term goal, you must set a short-term goal and a medium-term goal. This is critical in your goal setting process, because it adds structure to your goals. The short and medium-term goals will keep you on track to accomplishing your long-term goals. As you reach your short and medium-term goals you will feel like you are making progress and feel a sense of accomplishment. And do not forget to celebrate as you mark off these short and medium-term goals! They are just as important as those long-term goals!
3. Write Down Your Goals
Writing down your short, medium and long-term goals is another key element in determining your success when goal setting. By writing down your goals, you will be able to come back and look at them and be reminded what you are working towards. It will also let you mark off your short, medium and long-term goals as you obtain them and see in writing what you have accomplished.
4. Support System
A good support system will help you stay motivated on your journey to accomplishing your goals. They will celebrate with you when you achieve a goal, and they will encourage you when you are feeling discouraged. This support system will hold you accountable and not let you give up on your goals!
These steps can be applied in every aspect of your life. At CrossFit Gardendale, we recommend that our athletes follow these steps in when working on goal setting. We encourage them to write down their goals on our “GOAL WALL” and mark them off as they are accomplished. The goals are as varied as the athletes that walk in the door every day and that is one of the many reasons that makes CrossFit so great. It is truly a sport that can be scaled or varied for any skill level.
In addition, step #4 is an automatic at CrossFit Gardendale. The support system is unbelievable. Our athletes hold each other and the coaches accountable to their goals. And you better believe this support system is just as excited as you are when you achieve one of your goals! The box erupts in cheer when goals are achieved! Start thinking now about your 2015 goals and follow these simple steps to achieve them. CFG athletes get ready to write your goals on the wall! We are excited to see your goals and are honored to be a part of your support system!
1…2…3…CFG!
~ Carrie
