Goal setting should not be confusing, overwhelming, or stressful — it’s quite simple! Follow these three easy steps to set goals that you can actually achieve. Instead of giving up on your new year’s goals within a couple of weeks, set ones that can stick and you may be surprised how much progress you make by the end of the year!
STEP 1 | Set Goals, Not A Goal
Instead of just setting one goal for each goal you have, set one end goal and a series of smaller goals to help you achieve the end goal. Say, for example, your end goal is losing 50 pounds by the end of the year. Divide 50 pounds by 12 months and you have your smaller goal right there, an average of 4-5 pounds lost per month. Now, instead of being overwhelmed by one big goal, unsure of how to achieve it, you have something that you can see and reward yourself for each month.
You can take this even further and continue to break the goals down. Instead of just setting a goal for weight loss, set a goal of going to CrossFit 5 times per week. This will help you achieve your goal of losing weight and is a smaller goal that you can keep track of completing each and every week. Find what works for you, shift as needed, and watch yourself progress to your end goal.
STEP 2 | Make it Attainable
The next step is to review your goal and make sure it is attainable. 4-5 pounds per month is possible, but maybe you only have time for heading to your WOD twice per week. If you do not incorporate additional fitness into your schedule and watch what you eat, losing 50 pounds in a year may not be possible. Find out a goal that works for you, your needs, and your schedule. If your goal is attainable, you are less likely to get discouraged and more likely to actually reach your end goal. This is much more effective than setting a lofty goal that realistically cannot be achieved.
STEP 3 | Make it Timely
The final review your goals must pass is being timely. This means two things. First, a timely goal means a goal that is appropriate for what you would like to achieve in your life in the present moment. For example, if you are trying to reach a new squat PR, you would not focus on arm strength-building exercises, simply because it is counter intuitive. The second thing a timely goal requires is putting an actual date or deadline on the completion of the goal. With the example we used previously, losing 50 pounds in one year, we do this. Not only do we have the one year deadline, but we also have a monthly goal of 4-5 pounds which allows us to motivate ourselves to actually accomplish our goals.
Follow these three easy steps and be on your way to successfully achieving your goals this new year!