Even if planning mostly don’t work with 100 percent success rate in the real world, but it definitely gives you a guiding pathway to achieve your goals. Yet, on the other side, setting goal if done improperly can definitely bring you failure. So, for people who are beginning out with their fitness journey must know how to set and achieve goals, the right way.
Settings Goals can be quite simple and becomes more effective if we introduce ourselves to what I say is ‘SMART’ goals.
SMART Goals is an abbreviated form for Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-bound Goals. Okay, I do get it, that’s a lot of new words to begin with but further explanations will surely help you know more about it.
Any goal that we set, should be quite specific and measurable and by specific and measurable, I mean it should have a particular purpose with a number attached to it. Since, we are a page about fitness, so I am going to talk with respect to goal setting for starting your fitness journey. Let’s say a person is overweight, he knows it because his doctor said him and he didn’t do any measurements by himself. He decides to join a gym to loose weight and sets it as his goal to begin with. By setting such a specific yet immeasurable target, it’s more likely that the person will quit the process halfway in the journey. Whereas, if the person checks his weight, finds that he’s, let’s say 10 lbs overweight and decides to loose it, it’s more likely that he will push himself till he reaches the goal and the success rate definately goes up by adding in a specific purpose and measurable number to the goal.
Alright, let’s say you are ready to start with a specific and measurable goal but if you set your goals beyond your limits, it will only bring you disappointment. We are continuing with the 10 lbs overweight person’s example. The person is ready to loose weight but he decides to loose all of it in a week. Of course, it’s possible but he has to stay in a huge caloric deficit, he has to do hours of cardio, his energy levels will be low and he will be in a bad mood because of continuous ghrelin signals which he keeps avoiding. Instead, if he goes in a slight deficit, where he can function well, start easy with cardio and slowly making his way up and don’t horribly suffer all the time while dieting, it’s more likely that he will achieve the goals. So, knowing your limits is important before setting a goal.
A goal which isn’t relevant with the present situation is the one that will bring no good and in fact it will be bad for you in certain times. Let’s say the person we were talking about, even being overweight, decides to bulk up first to gain muscles and then cuts back the previous 10 lbs and the added fat he has put on during the bulking phase. It’s more likely that he will not be able to reach his goals. He has to diet harder, diet for a longer period and suffer more. So, it’s more likely that he quits halfway into the journey. So, not only did he quit and now is disappointed but also has to start with more than 10 lbs of weight to loose at the first place, in his next attempt and the whole situation just becomes tougher for him. Relevant goal setting is must and not a choice.
Next big thing is the time factor, the last factor that can make or break the game for you. If the person goes in the slightest of deficit to loose weight and decides to loose 10 lbs in a year, he may get impatient in the mid and just get frustrated and quit. On the other hand, if he decides to loose the 10 lbs weight in a period of 3 months(12 weeks), he actually goes for less than 1 lbs weight loss per week rate, which is in fact a correctly decided time frame and can be done with ease. The time period is also short, so it’s more likely to be achieved.
Now, we understand how to set goals or set SMART Goals with higher success rates but when it comes to fitness, it is something that needs to be done for lifetime. So, it’s important that we actually enjoy the process while working towards our goal to actually develop it as a habit and continue doing it even if our goal is achieved.
It can actually be done by taking care of little things. Your workout program must include exercises you enjoy doing. You must love your diet and look forward to every meal you eat. Dieting can be made easier by making smarter choices that help you reach your goals with ease when you are enjoying the process itself.
In this time of social media, it’s also beneficial to take advantage of these platforms. Click your weekly progress photos, your weight check ins and talk about your journey.
Declaring your goals on social media can actually add in a fear factor which can be positive and it’s more likely that you will work hard towards your goals, pushing your limits just because of the fear of missing out which in fact will be a help for reaching your goals.
Believe in yourself and on your goals.
It’s important because your believes will fuel your journey and will take you beyond your limits.
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